Secrets of a Companion
by VVAgirl
Summary: Cassandra Lee has spent her entire life infatuated with Doctor Who. How will she react when something mysterious happens and she ends up going from our universe to his? Follow Cassie as she enters the life of the mad-man with a box and possibly makes another connection along the way. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1: New Life from the Ashes

**Disclaimer: In no way do I own anything in Doctor Who except my OC. If I did own it, David Tennant would still be in his suits and trainers running around on my screen. **

**A/N: I would just want to say that, in spite of the crazy and weirdness of this chapter, the story is actually really good. So PPPPLLLLLLLZZZZZZ try going on to the second chapter. Because that's where the good stuff starts. So, happy reading!  
**

Cassie was floating in the blackness; between nonexistence and nothingness. She couldn't recall anything that had happened to her, and she had no idea where it is she was. She tried to keep calm as she reached her senses out to discover anything about her environment. Touch was the first thing to reveal itself. She felt the hard rough surface of pavement on her back as smell slowly crept back into her command. The rank odor of decomposing trash assaulted her nostrils and made her nearly gag as taste returned; tasting the rising bile in her throat as she choked it back down. Hearing was ripped into her mind as a car horn blared through the air, nearly deafening her. She waited for sight to come and show itself. Her panic was rising when she put two and two together and found that her eyes were closed.

She was about to open her eyes when a scratchy voice spoke next to her right side. It had the cadence of what she thought was an 18 year old boy.

"I'm tellin' ya. I saw 'er twitch," Cassie marveled at the cockney accent. She didn't know of anyone in Paris, Texas that was a foreigner.

"It doesn't mat'er if you saw 'er twitch. Just keep searchin' 'er pockets," Another cockney accent whispered next to her left ear. Cassie suddenly became aware of two sets of hands in her coat and pants pockets, gruffly moving around searching for what she knew wasn't there. As one hand came dangerously close to her crotch, she gave a small yelp and opened her eyes as she forcibly removed the two teenagers hands. The dimmed light of the alleyway burned her eyes slightly as she moved away from the two boys and up against a wall. She glanced back at the boys and saw they were even older than she had guessed. They looked about 22, well the one with the darkened skin looked 22. The Caucasian looked like he could pass for 40. Both had an expression of surprise on their face. The one of African decent was the first to recover. He looked pointedly at the other and proved his point.

"I tol' ya, Jay. I saw 'er twitch." he had a smug look on his face. Her assumption was that he wasn't right very often. Jay still had the shocked look on his face, but he sneered at the comment of his partner.

"I can see that, Mike. Now we 'ave ta do this the 'ard way." He started coming forward. She tried to talk reason into them.

"I can save you the trouble," Cassie laughed nervously, not exactly sure what to do, "I don't have any money or jewelry on me. Or a cell phone so I can't call the police." She lied about the last part. Cassie most certainly did have a cell phone on her but she would never dream of using it. Not now anyway.

"We 'ave other ways our female customers can pay. Wifout money." Mike said this with a sadistic smile playing on his lips that made her want to melt into the wall. He started reaching a hand out to her face, his eyes bright with dark humor and trailing along her slight frame. Cassie knew where this was going, and it would not be good. She slapped his hand away, but was only awarded with a slap of her own that made her head ricochet back into the brick wall. It felt like her brain was bouncing around her skull from the impact. Cassie instantly got a splitting headache as she felt something warm and sticky flowing down her neck. She was sickened by idea of blood trailing down her body, but she tried to stand her ground. She knew what guys like this wanted. They liked to see the pain they inflicted on their victim's face.

"Why ain't she cryin'" Mike confirmed her train of thought as he glared down at her. Jay just smirked at her. His ice blue eyes seemed to bore into hers, hypnotizingly and frighteningly beautiful. She had the sensation of cold, icy water submerging all over her body.

"I fink we've got ourselves a brave one 'ere," his smirk widened to show a row of yellow teeth; no, not yellow teeth. Gold. His teeth gleaming in the dim light made Jay even more satanic. Cassie shivered and cringed even closer to the red blocks of stone, "See, you just 'ave know what makes 'em scared." He took a step toward her and reached out a hand just like his friend. Cassie tried to slap away the unwanted advance, but he grabbed her wrist and brought the other to be held in one hand; while his other hand gently stroked her face.

"Now. You're not gonna give us anymore trouble right?" Cassie stared at his forehead instead of his eyes so she could stay focused. She shook her head slightly to give her answer as she brought up her knee and aimed it right between his legs. His surprised breath blew on her face as his hands fell away and he collapsed sideways. Mike was to slow to realize what happened as Cassie dodged around him and ran. She didn't even know if it was the way out. She didn't even care, she just wanted to get away from them. She heard Jay's strangled cry as she ran.

"Don't just stan' there idiot. Ge' after 'er." Cassie tried running faster, but she was still almost dead from whatever had happened to get her here. She stupidly let her mind wander and settle on the nagging question. How had she gotten here? She was so side tracked that she didn't notice the other footsteps fast approaching until Mike had her tackled to ground. She flung her arms out to avoid her head from hitting the pavement and getting an even bigger head wound. Her arms were scratched and bruised as she hit the ground. But, the worst of her injuries was focused on her legs. Mike had grabbed her around her thighs and had fallen, hard, on them. Cassie heard the chilling crack before she even felt any pain. Suddenly, it seemed as if flames were devouring her leg, eating away at any and all flesh there. She began to scream and cry out in pain but was silenced when Mike slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Oi! Jay, I got 'er and she won' be runnin' away anytime soon!" He called out to his friend with the same enthusiasm and tone as if he was telling him he had passed a math test. Cassie heard through her internal screams and tears a heavy breathing announcing that Jay had recovered from her kick and was coming.

"Good, now before we get this show on the road. I wan' ta do somefing." As he sidled up beside them he was leering down at Cassie, clearly relishing in the thought of what he was about to do. He brought his foot back and snapped it forward into Cassie's side. She gulped noisily under the pressure of Mike's hand. It was loud enough for Jay to take notice. He looked down at her with a strange expression on his face, it was to close to what you would look like if you were about to giggle.

"Don't like that darlin'?" he asked sweetly. He aimed another kick at her side. He readied himself for another but was met my Mike's hand.

"Don't make 'er too damaged mate. I don' like playin' wif damaged goods," He said with a slight warning in his voice. Jay looked back down at Cassie and sighed.

"Fine. Move then, I wan' first dibs to repay the favor." Mike moved from on top of Cassie so Jay could position himself over her. Cassie felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. She thought maybe it would be better this way. Just as Jay was about to unbutton her pants, Cassie heard the dim sound of something glorious, a protest.

"Oi! You two! Ge' off 'er!" Jay looked at Mike in a panic before he picked himself up and ran like hell with his friend close at his heels. Cassie just laid there in blissful pain silently thanking the stranger that had intervened. She could barely open her eyes and when she did all she saw was blurred colors. There was a red, some brown, white also, and yellow. She thought people may be talking to her but she was just to tired to answer or to care. The last color she saw before the world dimmed was that shocking color yellow.

_** CLDW**_

Just like before, Cassie hung in a limbo between nothing and life. But her senses slowly came back to her. A slow beeping came into awareness at the same time a rubbing alcohol smell burned her nose. She felt the soft touch of cotton sheets on her finger tips. Her mouth tasted awful (she really needed a mint). Sight was the last thing to come because she had to spend sometime trying to remember how to open her eyes.

Her eyes fluttered opened and was met with a shock of white walls. She breathed in sharply in surprise and then groaned in pain.

"Oh, you're up!" A feminine voice filled the room. Cassie looked in the direction of the voice. She was met with the sight of a blonde girl in a T-shirt and jeans. She smiled an encouraging smile with her tongue poking out between her teeth. Cassie looked in shock at the girl. Memories of her life started to flood into her mind. All centering around one television show, "You alright?" The girl asked uncertainly.

"What? Oh! Yeah I'm great! Well apart from the... obvious." Cassie rambled and ended in a whisper, "Um...? My name's Cassie. Cassie Lee."

"Nice to meet ya Cassie. I'm Rose. Rose Tyler." Cassie restrained herself from laughing. Apart from the pain, it was not the right scene to burst out laughing.

"Uh? Nice to meet you Rose. Do you...? You know?" she struggled to ask the question without saying the words, "Do you know what happened?" Rose's face fell as she was reminded of why she was in a hospital.

"Um? Yeah, are you sure you want ta..." she trailed off as Cassie shook her head yes, "Well, I'm not sure on the intimate details but from what I pieced together these two guys tried to... Uh? Rape you and me and my boyfriend, Mickey, saw and stopped 'em. I'm not a doctor, but from what they tol' me you 'ave a broken leg and a slight concussion. You also 'ave some bruised ribs..." And that was how Cassie Lee met her future adopted sister, Rose Tyler.

A/N: Just in case anyone is confused...which come to think of it, most of you will be probably, Cassie (who is an American, and so am I. So if I don't write the correct English name for it let me know.) is from an alternate universe where Doctor Who is TV show. Yes I know this ideas been done, but I think I can add a knew spin to this idea. So anyway, Cassie somehow got to the universe where Doctor Who is real (I'm not entirely sure if I'm gonna address the fact of how she got here. I may do something with it later in Series 5 or 6 or I may just let you think up your own answer.) Cassie will ultimately take the place of all the Doctor's companions from Series 1 on. The original companions will still be in the series but with less of a part. So all you Rose, Martha, Donna, and Amy fans won't be completely disappointed. I'm still debating whether or not I'll be doing specific episodes. Such as 'Father's Day', this was a very Rose centric story so I would need opinions on if I do this episode.

Another note about Cassie about is that if she was an actual character she would played by Amy Adams. She'll have an underlying fashion similar to Rose, but with slightly more of a dressier style then just T-shirts and jeans.

This chapter was relatively short compared to what the chapters that will hold the actual episodes. Sometimes there will be in between chapters with my own scenes. Please review and tell me your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2: Rose (Technically Cassie Now)

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

**A/N: I know this really soon after I posted my first chapter, but I couldn't resist. I told myself that I wouldn't post this chapter until I finished Chapter 3. Which I did last night thanks to a few feel good reviews. This is probably how it will go. I won't post until I've finished the next chapter. Unless I've kept you waiting like two months. So, anyway. Happy reading! **

_The four faces that over rode Cassie's unconscious mind swirled around her. It was the same dream she had been having off and on ever since the beginning of the year. She couldn't really complain. It was a much better dream then the recurring one of Jay and Mike coming after her. But, back to the faces. Each one coming into focus as it passed out of her peripheral range, but once she tried to look at them, they blurred into indistinguishable blobs. You could just make out key features. The first face that appeared to her had the smooth hairline of a shaved head, coupled with a pair of rather large ears. The second face that followed, completely opposite of the first one, had a wild mane of brunette hair along with a pair of brainy specks before his eyes. The third face had even more hair then the second one. It flopped into his eyes and hung a little down the back of his neck, where her eyes was drawn to a bow-tie that was just below his Adam's apple. The fourth one, however, was the most mysterious. Cassie was 99.9% sure who the other three faces were, but the fourth one was a conundrum. He had long dark hair, not as long as the third faces but long enough. His dark hair was coupled with a pair of piercing green eyes that felt as if they were seeing into her very soul. Cassie felt as if he was familiar, but she couldn't place him. As she whipped around again, trying to get a good look at the faces that surrounded her, a huge beeping sounded in her ear and..._

She jolted awake in her bed. The pillow, that had covered her head during the night, fell to the floor as she groaned and turned to her adopted sister who was in the same position as her. Rose was staring blurry-eyed at the machine making the noise, an alarm clock, before she pounded it to silence the buzzing that was giving them morning headaches.

The Tyler flat was small when looked upon on a regular morning, but when two residence were running around it; gathering clothes and keys and phones and trying to eat breakfast all the while, it became even more so. Rose bent down to kiss the top of her mothers head, who was still dressed in her dressing gown sitting on the sofa.

"Bye, mum. See ya later," she called as she headed for the door. Cassie, just discovering her phone under a pile of magazines, followed suit.

"Bye, Mrs. Tyler," the phrase was out of her mouth before she even had time to think. But as soon as they left her lips she regretted them, along with the look from Rose that could only be described as amused pity.

"Oi! Get back 'ere," Jackie called from her seat in the living room, "I'll 'ave enough of the Mrs. now," she continued as Cassie walked sulkily back to her, "It's mum! We got the papers finalized last month."

"I'm sorry, MOM," she corrected herself. She gave her adopted mother a kiss on the head just as Rose had done, and ran out the door after her. She caught up with her just as she was getting on the double-decker bus. They managed to find seats on the first level of the bus, Cassie sitting next to the window and Rose in the aisle seat. As they passed rows of department store windows, Cassie tuned Rose out as she went on about a date she had with Mickey later. Even though she knew about it, it had been her idea in the first place.

As their stop came up, they gave up their seats to stand near the exits and jump off as soon as the bus stopped. They ran across the street to the entrance of 'Henrik's'. They put their bags in the 'Employes Only' backroom and clocked in.

The first half of the day was uneventful. Folding T-shirts, re-stocking shoes, and cleaning out the dressing rooms. The constant music the store played over the load speakers numbed Cassie's mind to the menial tasks she performed. She was almost grateful for her lunch period. Almost...

How can you get much eating done when your sitting next to the couple that could win the gag award of the year. It's not that she didn't like Mickey, she loved him like a brother. And, unlike some older sister's boyfriends, he actually treated her like she existed. He went as far as to come over to the apartment to just hang out with Cassie when Rose was out with friends. She did love him, but right now; as he was mockingly trying to kiss Rose, Cassie wanted to throw-up.

After an agonizing 15 minutes, Cassie and Rose were heading back to Henrik's and Mickey had to clock in at the garage he worked at. He dipped Rose in a corny, movie style kiss that lasted for about a minute. Cassie cleared her throat three times to get their attention and even when they righted themselves you could still see the glazed look in Rose's eyes. Mickey straightened his jacket and turned to Cassie, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around as she shrieked in delight. When her toes touched ground again, she stood up on them and gave him a peck on the cheek then ran like hell all the way back to store. Rose caught up with her as she walked through the door, giggling and poking her all way.

Cassie took a shift at the register for the next half of the day. The only thing keeping her from falling asleep as she checked out a rather large women who had purchased size ten pants, was the music that still filtered through the store. Cassie was shaken from her work daze as the automatic voice announced that the store would be closing in five minutes. She handed the receipt and change to the woman and immediately pulled out the sign that stated that her register was closed. She got her things and waited by the door for Rose, who had been sentenced to folding and sorting jeans. She spotted her behind two girls and they were about to exit when the security guard waved the lottery money bag behind them.

It was technically Rose's job to give the money to Wilson at the end of the day, but she had her date with Mickey to get to. But Rose being the martyr that she was, wasn't going to say anything and would've taken the money down had Cassie not snatched the bag and headed for the lift.

"Go on," she called as she pushed the button, "It's not like we haven't done this before!"

"Thank you," Rose called back as she headed out the door, "I owe you one!"

"You better," her mumbled reply was as the doors opened and she stepped inside.

_**CLDW**_

The lift doors clattered open to reveal a deserted, basement corridor. This was odd as Wilson was usually waiting for her or Rose to show up. She looked up and down the place to see if he was heading that way. Nothing.

"Wilson!?" her voiced bounced around the closed space, "Wilson!?" She headed down the corridor to the door that led to his office, "Wilson, it's Cassie. Rose's sister." She stopped in front of a blue door that held the engraving 'H.P. Wilson C.E.O.' She tried the door but it was locked. "Wilson, I've got the lottery money. You there?" still no answer. She was about to give up and go back upstairs when a small clatter rang out behind her.

Cassie, being to nosy for her own good, crept down the corridor toward the noise. She first came across a door and when opened, revealed a pitch black room, "Wilson, it that you?" she called as she flicked on the lights. They flickered on to reveal a storage facility for the shop-window dummies the store used. And then Cassie froze.

She'd had a feeling that this was familiar. She couldn't have placed it until she had seen this room. _'Episode 1, Series 1 of Doctor Who. Staring Christopher Eccelson and Billie Piper' _played through her mind as she watched the dummies remain motionless. She was awe inspired and terrified at the same time. Wasn't Rose suppose to be down here? She wasn't sure being that ever since she had arrived there, it had been an alternate time line. Maybe she was supposed to be here.

All this took place in her head through the course of a few minutes before she decided to continue with the episode as it was suppose to be. If she was here or not didn't make a difference at the moment. She walked across the room to the other door she spotted and tried it as she called out Wilson's name a few more times. She gave her final tug when the door she had entered through slammed shut.

She raced back in both fake and real fear, pulling at the door that wouldn't budge. "Oh, you're kidding me," she grunted as she tried again. Another noise sounded in back of her and she spun to brace her back against the door. She called out one of her favorite lines from the series, "Is that someone mucking about?"

She walked further into the room keeping her gaze flickering from her path and the lead dummy, in anticipation for it to move. It suddenly creaked to life and Cassie stared in shock. It began to move towards her as she backed up, "Alright, very funny," she yelled as other dummies came to life and joined the mob, "Is this Derek, is it!" Cassie had a vague idea of who Derek was. Rose may have mentioned him as a mate of Mickey's who always teased her when they went out in a group. Of course, no answer came as the dummies continued to back her up, "Come on, this isn't funny," her voice pitched up another octave as her nerves controlled her mouth. She felt the smooth curvature of a pipe in her back as her hands brushed against the walls.

A small part of her mind saw reason and knew the Doctor would come and help her out of this situation, but this was a moment of instinct. And right now every instinct in her body was telling her to run and/or curl into a ball. Seeing as neither option was plausible at the moment, she squeezed her eyes shut as the dummies lifted their arms in unison.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed onto hers and locked their fingers together. Her eyes flashed opened to be met with leather, baldness, and satellite ears, "Run!" She followed as they ran from the room, the hiss of pipe reaching Cassie's ears as they went. They ran down a corridor still holding hands as the dummies followed them at more of a speed walk. Cassie's eyes flicked to the sides as more dummies appeared there, straining against metals bars to get to them. They finally reached the lift. Cassie stood against the wall as the Doctor tried to get the doors closed before the dummies reached them. Which proved to be useless since the lead dummy had stuck his hand in the doors.

The Doctor grabbed the arm and jerked backwards, pulling with all his strength till the arm popped off and the doors squelched closed, "You tore his arm off," delight evident in her voice as she spoke of the hero.

"Yup," he stated simply. Not noticing the tone in the girls voice. He chucked the arm at her, "Plastic." Cassie caught the arm and tapped it lightly against the wall, just to be safe. When satisfied that the arm was dormant for now, she turned back to the man in the leather jacket.

"Nice trick," holding the arm up a little to show what she meant, "So who were they, students?"

"Why would they be students?" he asked with half interest, not really caring to know her thinking process.

"I don't know," a truthful answer if there ever was one. She could come up with millions of reasons for what just happened in there, but for some reason Rose had said students.

"Well you said it," he retorted back with annoyance in his voice, "Why students?" He hadn't even looked back at her yet and was still staring at the door (secretly watching her in the blurry reflection in the stainless steel).

"Because..." she floundered for a minute before she remembered the line, "to get that many people dressed up and acting stupid. They gotta be students." The logic was sound, if a little far fetched.

"That makes sense," he said in slight surprise as he finally turned to look at her, "Well done," Cassie nodded in thanks, "They're not students," he stated simply, facing the door again.

"Well, whoever they are. When Wilson finds them he's gonna call the police." she examined the arm again as she got more paranoid.

"Who's Wilson?"

"Chief electrician."

"Wilson's dead." Cassie looked up in a start as he said that with no emotion. It was so uncharacteristic, so unexpected, so un-doctor-ish.

"That's not funny," she stated as the doors opened and they exited. He pushed her back a little and took out his sonic screwdriver, "Hold on. Mind your eyes," he pointed it at the lift controls and made them spark as he destroyed them.

"Who are you, then?" she asked absentmindedly as she looked at the controls. Hearing no answer she turned around and found him striding away from her, "Who's that lot down there? I said who are they?" she ran after him down yet another corridor as he made his way to an outside exit.

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures," he pushed through some sort of hanging plastic panel, "They're being controlled by a relay device on the roof. Which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this," he held up the device that Cassie knew was a bomb, "So, I'm going up stairs and blow it up, and I might well die in the process," they reached a door and he pushed it opened as he ushered her out it, " But don't worry about me – you go on. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, cause if you do you'll get them killed." and he slammed the door as he went back inside leaving her in the ally.

She turned around and almost had a freak out moment when the door opened again and he popped back out, "I'm the Doctor by the way. What's your name?" _'Now he remembers his manners'_ Cassie thought as he looked at her expectantly.

"Cassie."

"Nice to meet you, Cassie. Run for your life!" he shook the bomb in his hand as he closed the door again. She waited a minute to see if door would open again. When it remained closed, Cassie squealed so loudly that she wondered if he would come back to see if she been killed. She danced a little jig in her in the ally until she realized she was in public, standing next to a building that was due to explode in a few minutes. She ran down the street, frightened when she felt something bump her leg until she realized she was still carrying the arm.

She turned around to watch the building, when suddenly she saw a mushroom cloud rise from the roof and a second later a sonic boom echoed through the intersection. She vaguely acknowledged the people running around in a panic as she came down from her adrenaline high. A sudden need to be home over whelmed her and she started to run in the direction of the Powell Estate.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat on the sofa watching the news broadcast telling the story of the department store terrorist attack. She was holding a steaming mug of tea as Jackie jabbed on the phone, telling her friends of how she almost lost a daughter that she only just got. Cassie kept eying the arm that sat in the chair next to her.

The door suddenly burst open to reveal a horror faced Mickey and Rose, who only relaxed out of their tense positions when they saw Cassie sitting on the sofa, safe and sound. They pounced on her giving her a big group hug and then passed her off for individual hugs.

"It's alright," she tried to assure them between bone crushing hugs, "I'm fine. Don't make a fuss."

"We've been phoning, why didn't you answer?" Mickey asked as he passed her to Rose, only to have his questioned answered as Jackie came into the room still talking on the phone.

"You could have been dead. It's on the news and everyfin'," she said into her ear, "What happened?" she asked as Cassie pulled away, allowing everyone to hear the question.

"I don't know. I was outside," it was partially the truth. She was outside when it happened.

"It's Debbie on the end," Jackie announced as she walked back into the room, "She knows a man on the 'Mirror'. Five hundred quid for an interview."

"Oh that's brilliant," Rose said with sarcasm, "Give it 'ere." Jackie, not hearing her tone, handed her the phone. Rose hit the end call button and put it on the table. Jackie turned to glare at her daughter.

"And where you when this 'appened," an accusatory tone slipping into her voice. Rose amazingly became very interested with her hands in her lap.

"It's not her fault," Cassie defended, "I volunteered to take the money, plus I wouldn't have given him an interview."

"Well, you've go' to find some way of making money," turning her attention back to Cassie, "Your jobs are kaput and I'm not bailing you out." The phone rang as she ended her nag and she raced to answer it. Her eyes a light with the excitement of telling her tale again, "Bev! They're alive," she made her way out of the room, "I've told them! Sue for compensation!" Her bedroom door closed cutting off the rest of her conversation.

"Don't you just love her?" Cassie asked Rose as she let out a sigh. Mickey on the other hand was looking at the contents of her mug.

"What you're drinkin' tea? Na na, that's no good. You're in shock, you need something stronger," he said as he pushed himself off the sofa, "You deserve a proper drink. We're goin' down the pub. Just us three." He tried pulling her off the sofa, but Cassie just held on with her finger.

"Is there a match on?" she looked to Rose for confirmation and got it in her answer.

"No, no! Just thinkin' of you, kid," her voice squeaked a little in the beginning.

"Oh, there's so a match on," she rolled her eyes as Mickey tried to right the situation, but ended up putting his foot deeper into his mouth.

"Well that's not the point, but if we go we can catch the last five minutes." Rose smacked him on the arm to shut him up.

"Go, then. I swear I'm fine," she said as she pushed Rose and him off the sofa, "I'll only be a third wheel. Go!" She pointed at the door to enhance her order. As they passed the arm, Cassie threw a pillow at Mickey to get his attention, "Get rid of that." He gave her a cheeky grin and waved it her; causing her to laugh, only to have her smile forced as he pretended to choke himself. Rose's hand appeared around the corner and jerked him out the door.

Cassie sighed as the door closed and she soaked in the silence. Setting her mug on the table she headed to her bedroom that she shared with Rose, only to stop in Jackie's room, "I'm going to sleep early Mrs- Mom!" she caught herself at the last minute, but Jackie just waved her hand as she continued to talk on the phone. Cassie shook her head in fondness and went across the hall into her room. She fell asleep fully clothed and as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_**CLDW**_

_Instead of four faces, tonight there was only one. The first face that now was less blurry to reveal the ninth incarnation of the Doctor. Cassie tried running towards him, but he only got further away the more she tried. She even resorted to calling out to him, but her voice was cut off by a high pitch whine..._

Cassie sat up in bed and moved the hair out of her eyes to glare at Rose you just punched the alarm cloak and stared glassy eyed at the walls.

"There's no point in ge'in' up, sweethearts," Jackie's voice called from the living room, "You've got no jobs to go to." Rose and Cassie just collapsed back on the bed, Rose falling instantly back to sleep. Cassie stared at the ceiling, thinking about the Doctor.

_**CLDW**_

A few hours later, Rose and Cassie were dressed and seated at the table next to the kitchen. Picking apart what was left of their breakfast. Jackie kept going on and on about jobs that they might take now that they were unemployed. They were only half listening until she mentioned one of them working at Finch's. The looked at each other before saying in unison, "The Butcher's?"

"Might do you two good," Jackie said not seeing anything wrong with it, "That shop was givin' you airs and graces." They tuned her out again as she went back to the subject of compensation. Telling a story about how a friend of hers, Arianna, sued the council because the building manager said she looked Greek, even though she was Greek. They just rolled their eyes and went back to destroying their food when the sound of a flap opening and closing caught their attention.

"Mum! You're such a liar," Rose called as she headed for the door, "We tol' ya to nail tha' cat flap down. We're gonna get strays."

"I did it weeks back," Jackie called from her room.

"No, you though' about i'," Rose said as she crouched down only to pick up a nail on the floor. Cassie went to join her at the door, only to be spooked when the flap rattled again. They looked at each other and Cassie reached her hand out to push the flap open. On the other side of the door was the Doctor. Cassie gasped as she stood up, pulling Rose along with her. She opened the door just in time to hear the Doctor's first question.

"What are you doing here?" he made it sound like he had caught her in a place where she shouldn't have been.

"I live here," she shot back at him and was about to ask him why he was here only to be cut off again by him.

"Well, what you do that for?"

"Because I do. And we're only at home cause someone blew up our job," she indicated Rose in her last statement who just looked back and forth between them, seeming more confused then ever.

"I must have got the wrong signal," he muttered as he whirled his sonic screwdriver, "You're not plastic, are you?" he reached out both hands and knocked their heads, "No, boneheads. Bye, then." He almost made it away, if Cassie hadn't gotten a hold of his arm and pulled him inside.

"Oh, no you don't. Rose," she turned to her sister, needing her out of the way, "Don't you have a date with Mickey? Down at the pub?" she tried signaling her with her eyes.

"What? No," Rose answered even more confused, if she hadn't seen Cassie look pointedly at the Doctor who only looked around the place skeptically, "Oh, yeah. Right." She grabbed her sweatshirt as she headed out the door, giving her sister a smile as she went. With her out of the way all she had left was...

"Who is it?" Cassie breathed out and went to stand in Jackie's doorway.

"It's about last night," she said, making up an excuse, "Give us ten minutes." She hurried away to clean up the mess that was their living room. Listening intently to their conversation.

"She deserves compensation!" Jackie called as the Doctor passed her door. He looked mockingly offended and played along with the joke.

"We're talking millions." Cassie rushed to him and pulled him out of an awkward situation.

"Sorry bout the mess," she apologized, "You want a coffee?"

"Might as well," he made it sound like it was something that had never occurred to him to ask for, "Thanks. Just milk." Cassie kept silent as she moved around the kitchen looking for the ingredients. This was one of her favorite parts of the episode.

'That won't last. He's gay and she's an alien," he commented on what she assumed was 'Heat' magazine, "Hmmm. Sad ending," he critiqued one of the few books that were out in the room, "Cassandra Lee," Cassie blushed as he tested out her name on his tongue. She didn't see him pocket the envelope from the adoption agency that held her name, "Ah! Could have been worse," he said to himself as he noticed the mirror on the wall, "Look at the ears," Cassie giggled as she pictured him playing with them, "Luck be a lady..." he began to sing as she heard the shuffling of cards and then heard the sound of the Doctor play 52 pick-up, "Maybe not," she heard the smile in his voice, "What's that, then?" he asked suddenly as Cassie heard the scuffling noise, "Have you got a cat?"

"No. We did have, but now we just get strays off the estate." She put the finishing touch on the coffee and turned to bring it in, only to freeze at the door. The Doctor was wrestling on the sofa with the arm around his neck, choking him. Cassie just laughed lightly and put the cups on the table, "I thought I told Mickey and Rose to get rid of that? You're all the same. Give a man a plastic hand." She turned back to him only to see the arm lift off the Doctor's neck and attach itself to her face.

She closed her eyes in shock and struggled to detach it. Feeling the Doctor help as well. They rolled around, trying to loosen it, even breaking the coffee table in the process. He finally managed to pry it off and soniced it till it stilled.

"It's alright. I've stopped it. See?" he threw it at her, only to make her flinch as she caught it, "'Armless."

"You think so?" she hit him with it to get frustration out and smiled with satisfaction when he said 'ow'.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie chased him down the stairs as he tried to run away from her, "Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off!"

"Yes, I can. Here I am," he replied cheerily, "This is me swanning off. See ya!" They made it a few floors before the bottom.

"But that arm thing. It tried to kill me," she shouted back, trying to make him see reason.

"Ten out of ten for observation," was his only answer.

"You can't just walk away," she was losing her breath from running down the stairwell after him and shouting, "You have to tell me something!"

"No, I don't!" he answered back as he jumped the last couple of steps to the floor. He opened the doors to the outside world as Cassie caught up with him.

"Then I'll go to the police. You said if I did that people would die," she stated simply, playing up the tough side of her part (which wasn't very much), "Your choice. Tell me or I talk."

He just smirked at her and kept walking, "Is that supposed to sound tough?" his eyebrow quirked up as he assessed her.

"Sort of, yeah."

"Doesn't work," he said with a smile that only aggravated her more.

"And who are you all mighty tough man. Ya know just because you wear leather, doesn't make you motorcycle gang material," she asked, adding a snide comment in at the end. He laughed at her obvious annoyance.

"Told you," wondering why she was still following him through the parking lot, "I'm the Doctor."

"Yeah," she laughed at how he made it sound like the simplest thing in the world, "But, Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

"People call you 'The Doctor'?" she asked putting as much skepticism she could muster into that question.

"Yup. Hello!" he waved at her as the reached the edge of the lot.

"Come on, Doctor please!" she tries a new angle to get him to open up. Begging, "You can tell me. I know you're not the police." he snorted out a laugh before continuing.

"Thank you! No, I'm just passing through. I'm a long way from home." Cassie watched his face as it fluctuated through different stages of pain: anger, sorrow, despair. Finally landing on a controlled mask. Still fresh from the Time War.

"But why do those things keep coming after me?" she changed the subject quickly not liking the expression of a ready soldier on his face. He looked at her a second, seeing the look of anxiety on her face before being his usual rude self.

"Oh, like the entire world revolves around you! You're just an accident, you got in the way, that's all." Cassie had the look you might have on your face after you were slapped. She decided to slap right back.

"Excuse me, but they have tried to kill me twice!"

"They were after me, not you," trying to make her see the light. He was much more important then her in his mind, "Last night, in the shop, I was there first. You blundered in, almost ruin the whole thing!" Cassie tried to cut in but was over lapped by his tirade, "This morning... I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down, the only reason it fixed on you was because you've met me."

"So, you're saying the world revolves around you," poking him in the arm at the end of the sentence.

"Sort of, yeah!" imitating her from before.

"You're so full of it," tilting her head back to laugh.

"Sort of, yeah!"

"Does anyone else know about this plastic stuff?" getting him back on topic and proud to be successful in her topic change.

"No one," he confirmed, barely even glancing back at her now.

"All on your own?" a trace of sadness in her voice that was subtle enough for the Doctor to take no notice to it, just ranting on about 'stupid apes'.

"Who else is there? You lot, you just watch telly and eat chips and go to bed, and all the time, right underneath you... there's a war going on." Cassie skipped a little ahead of him to stop him and grab the arm.

"Start from the beginning."

_**CLDW**_

"But if it's living plastic," Cassie began her question, trying to wrap her head around the concept (well, faking it since she understood it perfectly from watching the episode twenty times), "How did you kill it?"

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm," he began, loving every minute of explaining how brilliant he was for figuring it out, "I just cut off the signal, dead." Cassie glanced down at the arm, feeling a slight moment of pity, but hurried on to her next question. Not even noticing that they entered the park across the street from the flat.

"Radio control?" she offered knowing it was wrong.

"Thought control," seeing her face under go no change to being informed that something could control things with its mind, "You all right?"

"What? Oh!" she realized what he was asking her a little late, "Yeah, fine. Just thinking," covering very badly, "And... who's controlling it?" Unsuccessfully changing the subject.

"Long story," he fell silent as he thought about how this girls reactions seemed a little off to some of the things he said.

"But, what's with the shop window dummies? Is someone trying to take over Britian's shops?" She sighed in relief as he chuckled at her joke. Bringing him out of his stony silence.

"No," he answered back before entering his own joke, "it's not a price war." Cassie laughed with him until it was cut short by, "They want to overthrow the human race. And destroy you. Do you believe me?" he asked in one smooth breath. Cassie wanted to say yes so badly, but come on. Even some parts of the story were a little far fetched for any sane girl to believe right off the bat.

"No."

"But you're still listening," he observed. Still paying attention to her reactions.

"But really," trying to pull the attention away from herself, "Who are you, Doctor?" He smiled a small smile and thought of maybe telling her the truth. But only for a second. This was a naïve little human. Who could expect them to understand anything of the higher species. He doubted she even fully understood what they had been talking about for the last few minutes. Better for her to live in ignorance. And the only way to get that to happen was to scare her.

"You know like we were saying," he began, low and soft for dramatic effect, "About the Earth revolving. It's like when you're a kid, the first time they tell you that the world is turning. And you just can't believe it, because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it," he grabbed her hand to enhance his performance. Being more and more earnest, "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it, we're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go..." he trailed off as he lets go of Cassie's hand. It was complete silence for a beat then he returned to normal, "That's who I am. Now forget me Cassie Lee." he took the arm from her hands and jokily waved it good-bye, "Go home."

He turned on his heel and forced himself to not look back. He unlocked the TARDIS door and went right to setting the controls.

Meanwhile, Cassie stayed right in her spot till she heard the wheezing and grinding noise and saw the blue box disappear right in front of her. But that's not what amazes her. That magical, mechanical wonder of a machine, was sitting right on top of the place in the park that Cassie came to clear her head and get some alone time.

She knew from the moment she realized this, that no matter if the episode went on the way it was suppose to or not... Cassie would see the Doctor again. And she knew when she did, she would never be apart from him.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie clattered opened the door to Mickey's flat and made as much noise as possible to let them know she was there. Just in case they were... in the middle of something. Cassie smirked as she saw both of them on the couch break apart and give her death glares.

"Can I use your computer?" she asked in an innocent voice, acting like she hadn't done anything wrong. Mickey rolled his eyes, but answered her anyway.

"Yeah, in the bedroom. Any excuse to ruin the moment" Cassie skipped through the door that led to the bombshell that was the bedroom. Mickey was already leaning back in to continue where he and Rose left off (only kissing of course). He was almost to her lips when he jerked back and called out to Cassie.

"Don't read my e-mails!"

"Yeah! Course not!" she called back with sarcasm. She went to his desk and opened the internet search engine and typed in the words 'Doctor Blue Box'. Why waste her time by searching for things she wasn't looking for? She clicked on Clive's web site and was met with a blown up picture of her Doctor at the Kennedy assassination. She looked through the rest of the site at all the other pictures he had and all the testimonies of people that said they had seen him. Some of the postings even sounded like they were even the old companions of his, trying to protect him in the chat room.

She went back to the home page and looked up Clive's number and e-mail address. She than e-mailed him about what she had seen and whether she could come over to discuss more about the Doctor. The reply was almost instantaneous, with a definite yes and his address. She smiled to herself and remembered she needed a ride. She groaned as she tried to think of a way to convince 'them' to let her go. She walked back into the living room and cleared her throat to get their attention. They scowled as they looked at her.

"Either one of you want to give me a lift to a 'friends' house?" Rose scrutinized her. She could sense she wasn't telling the truth.

"What type of 'friend' are they? And where is it?" she waited for Cassie to answer.

"Um... someone I met on the internet. He lives in Chiswick." She answered as sweetly as she could, and was prepared to use the puppy dog face. Rose's eyes bugged out as well as Mickey's.

"Ok, number 1," Rose held up her finger to count off the problems she had with her sister's plan, "The internet? Really? Number 2. HE? And number 3. Chiswick?" Mickey nodded in agreement. Cassie sighed.

"It's fine. First of all, I found a web site of his and I emailed HIM. Second, he has a family so it's not like he'd do anything to me. And third, it's not like it's Leadworth when I go and visit Amy and Rory. Chiswick is just 20 minutes away." She said it in almost one continuous breath. Praying that the two people in front of her wouldn't ruin the 'episode' with their brother and sisterly love.

Rose had her lips pursed as she thought. She looked between Mickey and Cassie when she finally made her decision.

"Mickey," she looked at him apologetically, "Go with 'er. Please?" Mickey nodded with a an air of protection surrounding him as he got up to lead Cassie to the door. She had a spring in her step as she walked but was still disgruntled that she had to be babysat by her sister's boyfriend. Before they could exit the apartment, Rose called out to them again.

"And why do you have to have friends so far away. Most people have friends in the apartment next door. You have them two hours away!" Cassie just stuck her tongue out at her and headed out.

_**CLDW**_

They pulled up across the street from Clive's house in Mickey's yellow bug. Cassie was even more mortified that she was being seen in a car like this. She tried one more time to get Mickey out of here and not wait in the car like an idiot or come in with her.

"Your not coming in with me. He's safe. He has a wife and kid. Why can't you just leave and come back for me?" she arched her eyebrow at him.

"Who told you that? 'e did. That's exactly what an internet, murder, lunatic would say." he shot back her, completely ignoring her last question. She just stared at him for a second and got out of the car. She walked across the street, waving to him as she reached the front door. She turned around and knocked. After a minute, a kid with a portable game answered the door.

"Um, hello. I've come to see Clive. We've been..." she trailed off sensing how stupid what she was about say sounded, "E-mailing." The kid nodded in understanding and turned around to yell into the house.

"Dad! It's one of your nutters!" Cassie just breathed out and saw a corpulent man come into view from the right.

"Oh, sorry. Hello," he seemed very happy to see her. Probably the only person who saw his web site to contact him who had actually seen the Doctor, "You must be Cassie. I'm Clive, obviously." They shook hands and Cassie mentioned Mickey in the car.

"I better tell you now, my sister's boyfriend's waiting in the car – just in case your gonna kill me." she laughed as she told him and felt even sillier than when she first knocked.

He laughed along with her in a way that put her at ease and spoke, "Ah, good point. No murders." he waved to Mickey in the car and than led her inside. He called up to his wife as he led her to the backyard and the shed.

"Helen! I'm goin' out back," he called excitedly, "It's something to do with the Doctor. She's been reading the website." Cassie heard the woman, Helen, come down the stairs and close the front door.

"She! She's read a website about the Doctor and she's a she," she called in disbelief. Cassie laughed. She guessed his crowd was mostly men with glasses who still lived with their mums.

They reached the shed and Clive immediately dived into the history of the Doctor.

"A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive," he said fully believing that he held the key to the world in his hands, "I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it." He continued talking as he shifted through papers. "If you dig deep enough and keep a lively mind, this Doctor crops up all over the place – political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories." He set a folder he found down in front them and took out a picture and talked on.

"No first name, no last name, just "the Doctor" - always "the Doctor". And the title seems to be passed down from father to son – an inheritance. That's your Doctor there isn't it?" He pointed to the computer screen where the picture was again. Cassie nodded her head so not to break the moment that was building in the tiny enclosed space, "I tracked it down to the Washington Public Archive last year. The online photo's enhanced, but this is the original." he swept picture after picture off the pile he was holding until the scene revealed where the Doctor was.

"November the 22nd 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. Going further back..." he rifled through more piles and found the picture he was looking for, "April 1912. This is a photograph of the Daniels family of Southampton and friend," his thumb pressed the man on the right most side. The Doctor, of course, "This was taken the day before they were due to sail to the New World on the Titanic. And for some unknown reason, they canceled the trip and survived. Here we are..." he had gone looking for something else as he spoke and had found it. It wasn't a photo this time, "1883. Another Doctor. Look – the same lineage. It's identical," they were looking at a drawing of the Doctor on an island with a blowing palm tree next to him, "This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra the very night that Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there." the drawing lay abandoned on the table as he looked deeply into Cassie's eyes, "He brings a storm in his wake. And his one constant companion," Cassie knew the answer, but looked beseechingly at him anyways, "Death."

"If the Doctor's back, if you've seen him, Cassie, then one thing's for certain," he continued on in the same breath. Trying to warn her of what he thought was a disaster in the making, "We're all in danger. If he singled you out," he continued as he put all the pictures back where he'd gotten them, "If the Doctor's making house calls..." he turned to stare at her, "Then God help you." the last sentence was at a whisper.

Cassie spoke, but with silent awe at how much this man had pieced to together just from pictures. That and he really knew how to put on a show, "But, who is he? Who do you think he is?"

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world."

_**CLDW**_

"Well, you were right. He's a nutter! Off his head. Complete online conspiracy freak. You win." She got into the car and looked at Mickey who looked... shinier. Her stomach dropped as she realized that while she was in there, Mickey was taken by the plastic bin. She tried to play it cool as she sat in the car with a plastic duplicate that could kill her at any moment.

"What are we gonna do tonight?" she asked him like she didn't know anything, "Fancy calling Rose and going for pizza."

"Pizza! P-p-pizza!" the duplicate tested it's speech pattern on the word, sending chills down Cassie's back.

"So, call Rose," she said, knowing he wouldn't.

"Pizza!" he completely ignored her and set the car into gear. Cassie grabbed the handle of the door so she wouldn't crash into it from the dummy's reckless driving.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie and the Mickey duplicate grabbed a table in the middle of the parlor. Cassie was rambling about where she and Rose might find jobs now and A-levels, trying to keep her nerves down.

"So where did you meet this Doctor?" the fake smile gone from his face, "Cause I reckon it all started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" he said it all in one breath (if he could even breath). Cassie remained silent as he spoke, to frightened and waiting for the Doctor to show up with the champagne, "What was 'e doin' there?" Cassie forced a little chuckle and spoke for the first time.

"I don't know. I really don't want to talk about it," it came out as a half whisper.

"But, you can trust me, kid. Bud. Sport. Bud. Cas. Bud." It rambled off all of Mickey's pet names for her in that freaky alien voice. Then just continued talking as if nothing had happened, "You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning and I can help you, Cassie. That's all I really want to do, kid. Sport. Bud. Bud. Sport. Kid." And finally the champagne was brought, but Cassie ignored the Doctor and asked what was wrong. Mickey didn't answer and just rebuffed the supposed waiter.

"Where's the Doctor," the duplicate practically growled as he gripped her hand tightly. The Doctor offered the champagne to her now but she was to concerned with the pain in her hand to acknowledge him.

"Mickey, your hurting me." she whispered it as she looked down at her hand.

"I need to find out 'ow much 'e knows, so where is he?" not loosening his grip at all.

"Doesn't anyone want this champagne?" the doppelganger finally looked up to tell the waiter off when he saw the Doctor there instead. He jumped up and stared at him with excitement. The Doctor shook the champagne bottle and popped the cork into the duplicate's face, only to have it be swallowed by it. It spit it out then transformed his hands in to paddles and went crazy. The Doctor got him in a head lock and took his head off in the same way he got the arm off. Even then the body and head wouldn't stop. Cassie looked to her right and saw the fire alarm; punched it and started yelling over the bells for everyone to get out. She ran towards the kitchen and the Doctor followed her.

The thing followed behind leaving destruction in its wake. They finally reached the outside alley and Cassie followed him on to the TARDIS. But once she stepped foot in it felt like home. Nothing else before this had the same feeling. Not her house with her mom and dad in the other universe. Not the Tyler flat. Not even the special place she found in the park across from the building. The size however did freak her out a little so she did what any new companion would do. She ran out and played a little Ring Around the Rosy with the TARDIS.

She walked back through the doors as the thing nearly broke through the door and continued on with the episode, relishing in the feeling that swept over her.

"It's gonna follow us!"

"Not even the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan could get through those doors. And believe me they tried." He said as as he looked down at her from the top of the ramp, "Now, shut up a minute." He turned back to the console to fiddle with the head. Cassie looked around her and took in the whole room. The coral pillars. The mechanical view of it. This was defiantly her favorite desk top. But, the eleventh Doctor's was a close second. She reached out to touch the nearest pillar. As her fingers grazed the surface, warmth appeared beneath them and the TARDIS hummed with love. The Doctor was to busy to notice, but Cassie was dumbstruck. _'What just happened?'_

The TARDIS seemed to recognize her. It knew who she was and seemed quite attached to her. Cassie didn't know how that was possible. She quickly pulled her hand away and stared down at her fingers in silence. The warmth of the TARDIS still present on the tips.

"You see, the arm was to simple," the Doctor's mutterings roused Cassie from her dumbstruck moment with the stellar machine, "But the head is perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source." He set the head on the console, now attached with some industrial sized wires. He turned back and had a subtle look of surprise, as if he had forgotten she was there. His muttering had been to low for him to actually be talking to her. It seemed he talked to himself a lot.

"Right. Where do you want to start?" he regained his composure in a second and looked back at her, waiting for her inevitable questions.

"Um," Cassie had so many questions that she doubted that if she wrote them down, the book would be as big as 'War and Peace'. She debated for a second and decided to start with the simplest one and the one that coincided with the episode, "The inside's bigger than the outside?"

"Yes," a smile broke out over his face as his favorite question was asked.

"It's alien," not a question. A statement, but the Doctor answered her anyway.

"Yep," popping his 'p' a little.

"Than your alien," no doubt in her voice as she stated what she already knew. He quirked his eyebrows in suspicion but still answered.

"Correct," he stared at her for a bit than questioned, "Is that all right?"

"Fine by me," a small smile playing on her lips.

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing," Cassie scrunched her nose at the word thing, knowing it was so much more, "T-A-R-D-I-S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Are you all right?" A frown appeared on his face as she didn't seem about to have a breakdown, "No culture shock?"

She realized her mistake and the smile quickly dissipated, "I handle shock very well," she was just as cryptic as the Doctor was in some episodes, just to give him a taste of his own medicine. Than a thought crossed her mind that darkened her mood. She already knew the answer but asked it out loud anyway to relieve some of the tension building inside her, "Did they kill him? Mickey?" her voice lost some of its warmth as she thought of the prospect, "Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

A look of surprise crossed the aliens face as he said the most indelicate thing at the time, "Oh. I didn't think of that." No matter who had said those words. Even if it was the hero of Cassie beloved show, those words sparked a fire in Cassie's vein. Who had the right to be that thoughtless or that careless as to forget if someone was dead or not.

"He's my sister's boyfriend. One of my best friends. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think?" her voice rising in anger as she went on. She noticed the head behind him and saw it begin to melt. An odd satisfaction filled her as something went wrong for the man that had infuriated her, "And now you're just gonna let him melt?"

"Melt?" the Doctor spun around just in time to see the face collapse, "Oh, no, no, no!" he ran around the console pushing buttons and throwing levers and the ship began to rock. Cassie gripped the railing and pulled herself onto the main flight deck.

"What are you doing?" her fingers slipped as she tried to get to the console. She pushed herself off just as the machine jerked forward and she knocked into the time rotor. She grabbed a solid looking wire as the Doctor babbled in her ear.

"Following the signal. It's fading," Cassie stared at the rotter going up and down to try and keep some semblance of balance, "Wait a minute hold on," he looked at the scanner and began shouting again in frustration, pushing more buttons, egging the TARDIS to go a little further, "Almost there. Here we go." The rotor froze in position and the Doctor sprinted toward the door with Cassie right on his heels, still boiling a little from her outburst.

The doors opened to reveal they were on a bridge near the bay. "I lost the signal. I got so close," the Doctor actually spoke to her as her presence became more familiar to him. He fell back into his mode of being with a companion. He walked off with Cassie a moment behind, than seemed to realize something and turned to stare at her, "Any questions you have? Anything about our movement? Flying? Disappearing there, reappearing here? Anything?"

"I assumed from the title of 'Time And Relative Dimension In Space' it did something along those lines. Cause, if you ask me, if you've got a spaceship that doesn't move, it's a bit rubbish," The TARDIS gave a small hum in agreement, "But, I do have another question. What about that headless clone? It's still on the loose."

The Doctor gave her a look of suspicion and wonder before he answered her question and turned to look out at the bay, "It melted with the head. Are you gonna witter on all night." The rudeness just kept coming. Cassie wanted him to feel guilt so she brought Mickey again.

"I'll have to tell Rose and his mother," the Doctor looked back at her with confusion in his eyes and Cassie just smirked _'So predictable'_, "Mickey. I'll have to tell my sister and his mother he's dead and you just went and forgot him again!" guilt flashed through the Time Lords eyes before they were replaced by his own fire of anger, though his was more that of five year-old in a tantrum.

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey, it's because I'm trying to save every stupid ape blundering around on top of this planet, all right!?" He took more offense to the smile on Cassie face.

"All right!" Cassie shouted just have the fight over and get back to the adventure.

"Yes, it is!" he had to have the last word just to irritate her.

"If you are an alien how come you sound like you're from the north?" making fun of his accent was all she could think of to irritate him.

"Lots of planets have a north," he stated it as if it was the stupidest question to ever ask. Cassie breathed slowly, calming herself to actually have a civil conversation with the man.

"Why's your ship a police box?" talking about his ship always put a smile on his face, in any incarnation. He glanced at her.

"You know what that is?" sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"I do watch documentaries. Not an idiot," she tapped her temple with her pointer finger to emphasize her point. He looked at her with a look that read '_you could have fooled me.'_

"It's a disguise," a smile pulling his lips upward.

"And this living plastic, what's it got against us?" reminding him of the task at hand.

"Nothing. It loves you," he paused after every sentence trying to form words in his head that would help explain the situation, "You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air. Perfect. Just what the Nestene Conciseness needs. Its food stock was destroyed in a war. All its protein planets rotted, so Earth? Dinner," moving his hands to imitate eating.

"You can stop it though, right?" His only answer was to pull out a vile of blue antiplastic.

"Antiplastic." the Doctor said it first and Cassie followed just a little delayed.

"But, first I've got to find it," he walked away from her, oblivious to the slight unison on the anitplastic, "How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"We talking bout that thought control thing from earlier?" she knew they were but made it less obvious by forming it into a question.

"Yeah, the transmitter. The Conciseness is controlling every, single plastic. So it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"Probably look like a disk or dish?"

"Yeah, round and massive. Somewhere slap bang in the middle of London," he walked to the other side of the TARDIS where you could see the 'Eye' over his shoulder, "A huge metal circular structure. Like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible."

Cassie just shook her head, "Oh Doctor."

"What?" not sure what she was getting at.

"Doctor, Doctor, Doctor," she put her hands on his shoulders and spun him around, "Round?"

"Yeah?" still not getting it, even when facing the wheel.

"Massive?" she pointed at it to help, but to no avail as he just looked at her with his eyebrows knitted together. "Shaped like a wheel?" her extended finger traced the outline of the Ferris Wheel. He still looked clueless. She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and concentration. Seeing how much more obvious she could be.

"Oh!" his exclamation made her sigh in relief. She picked her head up to look at him, met his eyes, "Fantastic!" and they took off running. They ran along the side of the bridge, until Cassie caught sight of the man whole that led down to the lair. She stopped and leaned over the side of the stairs leading down.

"What about down there?" calling his attention to it. He came beside her and assessed her discovery. He smiled, "Looks good to me," grabbed her hand and pulled her to it.

They reached the hole and both pulled the cap off, only to get hit with a wall of steam rising from the room beneath. The light emanating from it shown red. The Doctor went first, followed by Cassie. The room was small and held chains sagging from the ceiling and a single door. The door led to a huge room that reminded Cassie of a less cleanly version of Torchwood Cardiff. They looked over the railing of the scaffolding, into the tub of molten plastic.

"The Nestene Consciousness," the Doctor took to explaining the situation, "That's it inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

"You gonna give it a choice?"

"Why would I?" he knew his answer to that question but he wanted to see her side.

"Because, it's still a living thing. No matter what it's done. You can't just murder it without giving options. You can't be a mindless killer. Not caring for the weak or innocent. Killing just to kill. Or to get something you want," her eyes took on a far off quality to them as she spoke. Talking less of the Consciousness and more of her own experiences. The Doctor heard the change in her voice and turned to stare at her. Her voice was far to wise to be coming out of an 17 year-old.

"Your right," his voice brought her back to reality with a start, "I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance." He began heading down the steps, never taking his gaze from the vat, "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." His voice took on a regal quality as the genes of his people took hold. A noble people, sworn to protect and observe.

A roar sounded from the vat in what Cassie assumed was the Consciousness language. Not being in the TARDIS long enough for the translation circuit to kick in.

"Thank you," the Doctor answered as the roaring cut out, "If I might have permission to approach?" as the Consciousness answered, below the roaring Cassie heard a soft wimper. Her head snapped up and she saw Mickey sitting on the next landing, huddled in a corner.

"Oh, my God!" Cassie exclaimed as she ran to check him out, "Mickey, it's me, It's OK. It's all right" she knelt down to hug him and reach eye level.

He held his finger to his lips and looked over his shoulder in a panic, "That thing down there - the liquid, Cas – it can talk!" Fear was evident in his eyes and she just held him close. Understanding that he didn't have DVD's to prepare him for the Doctor's world.

"Doctor, they kept him alive! Did you know!?" looking back at him. Knowing he did, she turned back to Mickey and continued comforting him.

"Yeah, that was always a possibility," he continued down the steps to the very last landing overlooking the vat of Consciousness, "Keep him alive to maintain the copy."

"And of course you never said." Cassie said under her breath in annoyance, loud enough for the Doctor hear on descent.

"Keep the domestics outside! Thank you!" Cassie rolled her eyes and looked over the railing as the Doctor appeared below.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness?" a roar answered, "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp-shunt technology, so may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off," he smiled at his own joke as the roaring took on an angry quality, "Oh, don't give me that. This is an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights, " the plastic stretched out of its vat and hissed in answer, "I am talking!" the Doctor sounded as if he was scolding a misbehaving child, "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk," he indicated Cassie and Mickey on the landing above him as an example, "But they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please just go."

"Doctor!" Cassie cried out as she saw two dummy's come up behind him and restrain him as the roaring rose to an even more ferocious timber. The Doctor looked at Cassie with a sudden fear as he struggled against his opponents. One of them produced the anitplastic from his jacket.

"That was just insurance. I wasn't gonna use it," he lied unconvincingly, now panicking even more. The roaring continued, "I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear I'm not." he was begging now. Trying to find some way of getting him and the two humans out of there alive. The plastic lurched upward and gave a terrifying shriek, "What do you mean?" the Doctor asked as a door was opened to reveal the TARDIS. If it was possible, the Doctor became more desperate, "No! Ah, no! Honestly, no!" trying to make the Consciousness see reason, "Yes, that's my ship."

The roaring was gradually growing louder and more high-pitch as the argument went on. Cassie covered her ears in pain, but remained standing to watch. While Mickey curled into a ball to protect himself.

"That's not true! I should know! I was there," Cassie looked at the Doctor face as his voice became thick with sadness. Pain flashed across it as he tried to make the screeching, bowl of plastic understand, "I fought in the war! It wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world, I couldn't save any of them!" he was close to tears now.

"What's wrong?" Cassie called, knowing full well what was wrong, "Why doesn't it like the TARDIS?"

"The Nestene's identified it as superior technology! It's terrified!" the look on the Doctor's face embodied all that he said the creature was feeling as he looked at the human girl who looked fragile right now against the red of the room, "It's going to the final base! It's starting the invasion! Get out, Cassie! Just leg it now!" Cassie watched as the stairs fell away and the room began to shake. Cassie pulled out her mobile and dialed.

"Mom?"

"There you are. I was just gonna phone," Jackie's voice filtered through the phone as Cassie strained to hear over the roaring and quaking, "You CAN get compensation. I said so. I've got this document off the police. You can thank me later. Your sister surely didn't."

"Where are you, Mom?" Cassie cut in before she could start going on about how ungrateful Rose is.

"I'm in town," her voice crackled as the reception got worse and worse.

"No, just go home! Get Rose and go home right now!"

"Darlin', you're breakin' up. Listen, I'm just gonna do a bit of late-night shoppin'. If you see your sister, tell her to call me. I'll see ya later. Ta-ra."

"Mom? Mom!" but she was gone. Suddenly a bolt of blue lightning shot out of the vat and up into the inter-workings of the 'Eye'. Making the shaking even worse.

"The activation signal," the Doctor yelled from the dummies grip, "It's transmitting!" Cassie pushed Mickey to TARDIS to get him out of the way and headed to the chain attached to the wall.

"Get out, Cassie!" the Doctor couldn't see what she was doing from his point of view, "Just get out! Run!"

"The stairs have gone and I am not leaving you!" She retorted back as she grabbed the ax from the floor.

"We're gonna die!" Mickey yelled from his position of hugging the TARDIS. Fires were exploding everywhere as the Doctor continued to struggle with the dummy's and Cassie labored under the weight of the ax to swing it. The Consciousness' roaring filled Cassie's ears as she set the ax down and caught her breath. She was jerked out of her breathing as the roaring became coherent.

"Time Lord!" The Doctor twisted around with the dummy and stared at Cassie with alarm and fear. The first thing he found after the Time War was about to be destroyed by something as a result of the War. And it was all his fault.

As Cassie's eyes locked with the Doctor's she saw her fear mirrored in them, sitting side by side with sadness and guilt. That look of the Doctor's gave her the strength to lift the ax and swing with all her might until the chain came loose.

"Just leave him!" Mickey called from the floor, "There's nothing you can do!"

"May not have A levels, or a job, or a future," she gripped the chain with her hands and looped it around one of her wrists, "But, I'll tell you what I do have. My sisters gymnastic teaching," she spun around to face the Doctor, "She got the bronze!" She ran forward and swung off the landing; passing the Doctor and the dummy as they both scrambled to get out of the way. The Doctor using the movement to flip the dummy over him and into the vat. Cassie swung back and hit the one holding the antiplastic into the vat as well, causing the vile to uncork.

The Consciousness roared with pain as veins of blue encased its entire body. It thrashed with hurt as Cassie swung back towards the Doctor and was caught by him. He smiled at her in his same elfish grin.

"Now we're in trouble," he grabbed her hand and bounded up the steps with her; straight to the TARDIS. He peeled Mickey off and opened the door, allowing Mickey to crawl in. Cassie stayed behind just a bit longer to look at the dieing creature. Sadness gripped her as she realized she was the reason the creature was dieing. It didn't matter that it had tried to kill her whole world. When it came down to it, the Consciousness was a scared creature, lonely and lost, recovering from a blow delivered to it in a devastating war. It was not unlike the Doctor.

"Cassie!" the Doctor's yell pulled Cassie from her own thoughts. She gave the creature one last look than closed the door. She ran up the gang plank and stood side by side with the Doctor. Mickey was sitting huddled at the door of the TARDIS. He seemed to be debating staying in the strange box or going out and facing the alien. Cassie giggled at the look on his face and turned to watch the Doctor run around the console and and guide them safely (or as safe as you could be in the TARDIS) away from the under chamber.

When the rotor stopped, the Doctor and Cassie looked expectantly at Mickey and the door and silently gave him the affirmative that he could go outside. Mickey immediately jumped up and ran out the door, stumbling as he went. Cassie followed shortly after with her mobile out and dialing her mums number.

"Cassie!" she answered on the second ring, "Don't go out of the house. It's not safe." Cassie laughed as her mum started up on one of her long winded stories.

"Find Rose and tell her I love her," she cut in then disconnected the call. She looked up to see Mickey huddled against some garbage in the ally they were in," Ok, come on big boy," she walked over to Mickey and placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine. It's over." Mickey just stared over her shoulder as the Doctor exited the TARDIS.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy!" he exclaimed with a snap of his fingers and a big grin.

Cassie rolled her eyes and walked over to set him right, "Excuse me. Who was the one who swung from a rusty chain to save your trapped butt? You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

"Yes, I would. Thank you," he gave a small smile as he processed the knowledge that he owed a human, "Right, then, I'll be off...unless..." he trailed off as he looked at her with a glint in his eye, "I don't know...You could come with me." Cassie's heart nearly stopped in its chest cavity. It was the phrase that every Who fan wanted to hear. The chance of a lifetime. To travel with the Doctor. To see other worlds and different times. Who could pass that up.

However, as Cassie's brain raced on ahead to all the adventures she would have with the Doctor; her body sagged in dread. She was exhausted after the day she had. And, if she went with him, this would be everyday. She didn't know if her body could handle it. Plus there was the ever present weight of Mickey latching on to her leg as though he were a toddler.

"This box isn't just a London option. It can go anywhere in the universe, free of charge."

"Don't," Mickey sounded from her leg, "He's an alien, he's a thing."

"He's not invited," the Doctor stated simply, "What do you think?"

Cassie was about to say yes when Mickey interrupted her thoughts, "What about Rose and your Mum?" Cassie frozen in concern. What about them? How could she leave them after everything that happened tonight. She didn't even know if Rose was still alive! She was sure she was, but did she really know? She looked back at the man peaking out of the magical box that warmed to her touch, "I can't. I've got a mum and sister who need me. Plus this big oaf needs someone to talk to after the experience he's had. Plus, I may have a boring life here on this planet. But, that life with you, it may be brilliant and fantastic, but it's dangerous."

"Ok," a two syllable answer for one of the biggest choices in her life, "See you around." As if that was remotely possible. If he didn't come back that would be the last time she would ever see him again. He closed the door and she watched as the TARDIS slowly faded into nothingness. A single tear rolled down Cassie's cheek. She took a deep breath and looked down at Mickey, "Come on you. Lets go find Rose." She helped him up and started walking away with him tucked under her arm...when the TARDIS noise could be heard behind them again. Cassie whipped around and watched as the door opened again and the Doctor peaked out.

"You gonna tell me that your ship can travel in time as well?" she called in a joking manner even though she knew it was true.

"Yeah," he said with wide eyes in awe, "Yeah it can." She watched as a smile spread over his face. She smiled back and looked at Mickey.

"Tell my mom and my sister I love them," she kissed him lightly on the cheek and then ran toward her destiny.

The Doctor watched as the girl ran straight for his ship and slowly slunk inside. Normally he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't go back. But something about this girl intrigued him. If it wasn't her ethics and personality, it was the little instances that made him wonder. Like when he had come back to tell her his TARDIS traveled in time, she had already guessed it. He was looking forward to the challenge of unraveling her mystery.

**A/N: Most of the dialogue in the story will be the same, but some will be different because obviously it's a different person in the situation. And I will probably be changing some events to what they are in the show. So please review and tell me what you think of the first two episode chapters.**


	3. Chapter 3: The End of the World

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

**A/N: Thanks to all the people who favorited, followed, and reviewed my first two chapters. And for sticking with me through the weirdness of chapter 1. So: JayceeJade, Disney-Princess-In-Disguise, Ginga no Yousei, IregretNothingNoMore, , KimchixBurger, sashaxh, PrincessJenna89, UConnHusky90, emilyelaine123, mionerocks, potatozrule, LazyJack, golden-priestess, Shichibi10, and dalek bob. Thank you so much for your reviews and the follows and the favorites! I love you guys!**

Metal clattered as Cassie ran up the gang plank of the TARDIS to stand next to the Doctor. It was hard to believe it had only been a few days since she had met the dashing alien with a time machine. And if that wasn't hard believe, said alien had been known to Cassie for most of her life. If anyone had ever told her she was going to be sucked into a parallel universe and meet the hero of her all time favorite show, she would have tried to send you back to the loony bin where you belong.

And yet here she was, standing in the TARDIS, next to the Doctor. A man that went from leather jackets and jumpers to pin-stripped suits and trainers to tweed jackets and bow-ties. Never expect the expected when it came to him. All this ran through her mind before he even asked her a question.

"Right! Cassandra Lee, you tell me. Where do you want to go, backwards or forwards in time?" he said it a way that made it sound as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world. Traveling to ancient Rome or to the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Cassie giggled silently with glee to be given the chance to actually decide, "It's your choice. What's it gonna be?"

"Right, just put me on the spot," Cassie breathed deeply in excitement as she considered whether to follow the episode or do what she wanted. But, then she realized the episode was what she wanted, "Forwards." The Doctor put down his ball he had been holding and began flicking switches.

"How far?"

"One hundred years," she wasn't entirely sure how many years in the future the end of the Earth was, so she decided to play along with the episode to get there. He rolled a wheel attached to the machine and bit his lip as he watched the time rotor move. The TARDIS began to shake as Cassie gripped the console with anticipation. The Doctor reached out and twisted a knob, stilling the machine.

"There you go, step outside those doors and it's the twenty second century." he looked a bit bored at the prospect of exploring this time period, so Cassie helped him.

"Can we go further?" a grin broke over his face as he went back to the controls, causing the walls to shake again. He twisted a few more controls and pumped something, then it was still.

"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside. It's the year 12005. The new Roman Empire," he said cockily. Cassie just smirked.

"You think you're so impressive," coupled with her most patronizing voice these words would annoy anyone with an ego the size of Belgium. So mainly the Doctor.

"I am so impressive," a whine slipping into his tone as he morphed into a five-year old.

"In your dreams," an eye roll adding to the frustration.

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go," a manic grin was on his face in a flash and he began working the controls in rapid movements, "Hold on." They stayed in the vortex longer then the other times, the Doctor pumping the rod the whole way until they stopped.

"Where are we?" as if Cassie didn't know. The Doctor threw his hand to the door, inviting her to find out. She looked at it for a moment before sprinting towards it.

"Be careful!" he called out, not expecting her to go into the unknown so willingly. He followed her out and saw a very poshly decorated room with tan walls and white floors. Bit boring in his opinion. Cassie continued to shift her gaze everywhere in the room as the Doctor got to work on the control panel near by.

"Not really that amazing," Cassie commented. She loved getting the Doctor riled up. It was the best thing in the universe. Well, this universe.

"Just you wait," he mumbled as he finished with the panel and a window began to open. Behind the covering was revealed to be a space station view of the Earth with the Sun glowing behind it.

"You lot," he made his way over to Cassie as he started his little speech, "You spend all your time thinking about dying-like your gonna get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids," the rays of the Sun shown around the planet making it look like it was glowing, "But, you never take time to imagine the impossible–that maybe you survive." Cassie stared in awe at the planet beneath her, "This is the year 5.5/Apple/26, five billion years in your future. And this is the day...Hold on," Cassie glanced down at the watch he was wearing only to look up again as the Sun exploded into a giant red mass with little patches of yellow and orange, "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

She looked at him with wide eyes and looked back as the Earth looked so tiny compared to the Sun.

_**CLDW**_

_'Shuttles Five and Six now docking' _a computer voice filtered through the station they were on and shocking Cassie from her gloomy daze, _'Guests are reminded that Platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earthdeath is scheduled for 15.39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite.' _Cassie and the Doctor made their way through the corridors as they half listened to the machine.

"When it says 'Guests'? Does it mean people or aliens?" Cassie asked already aware of the little blue and green people coming to witness this event.

"Both, it just depends on what you mean by people," he stated matter-a-factually as he continued to walk.

"Aliens then," she said with a breathy laugh, "What are they doing on the station?"

"It's not really a station, more like an observation deck," the screwdriver came out, and he used it to open the door they had come to, "The great and the good are going to watch the planet burn." He looked at the lock wondering why it wasn't opening.

"For fun?" even when this was just a TV show, Cassie still couldn't comprehend the situation of watching a planet die for sport.

"Yup," he popped as the door opened and he headed inside, "Mind you when I said 'the great and the good', what I mean is..."

"The rich," Cassie finished for him. This fact was obvious to her even before he said the line when she first watched the episode. He just looked at her from the corner of his eye with more suspicion, "But hold on, they did this on some show Rose was watching, 'Newsround Extra' I think. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years. Did they preserve it or something?" They made their way closer and closer to the window that was the biggest feature in the room.

"Yeah, it takes millions. But, the planets now the property of the National Trust. Like you thought, they've been keeping it preserved. See down there," he pointed out the window at a tiny machine floating near the edge of the sun burst, "Gravity satellites holding back the Sun."

"The planet looks the same from my time," she pointed out, "Wouldn't the continents shift?"

"They did and the Trust shifted them back. That is a classic Earth," he made it sound more like an album cover then a world, "But, now the money's run out, nature takes over."

"And the time frame till my home world dies?" she didn't like how he seemed to be loving this so much.

"Bout half an hour," glancing at his watch again, "Then the planet gets roasted." Cassie looked at him with disbelief of how he could say that with such non feeling.

"We're not gonna save it are we?" she asked still looking at him.

"Nope, not saving it. Time's up," just staring out the window, not even making eye contact with her.

"And the people? Is the planet empty at least?" She wondered if he was remembering how his planet burnt.

"Yes. All gone. No on left," he gave a small smile to the planet below him.

"Just me, then."

"Who the hell are you!?" came from behind them and they turned around to be facing a very blue man. He was dressed in an elegant (if not flashy) robe and tunic with a hat. Cassie was unsure if the lines formed around his eyes were make-up he put on or if they were actually part of his skin.

"That's nice," the Doctor said in mock pleasure, "Thanks."

"But, how did you get in?" the alien continued. Not caring about his manners, "This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way, any second now..." he got cut off as the Doctor tried to assure him.

"That's me. I'm a guest," he pulled the psychic paper from his jacket and showed it to the flustered man, "I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine. There, you see?" The alien looked to examine it closer, "'The Doctor plus one.' I'm the Doctor and this is Cassandra Lee. She's my plus one. Is that all right?"

The man looked shocked but maintained his composure enough to answer back, "Well...obviously," he looked between them again, "Apologies, etcetera," he continued in a brisk manner, "If you're on board," he stated seeming to still have some doubts about them, "We'd better start," he started to head away, then turned back to them, "Enjoy."

The Steward headed off and the Doctor took to explaining the paper, which unfortunately remained blank to Cassie like on the show, "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time." He gently put back the paper in his jacket.

"I love his skin-tone," she joked

"Yes, he's blue. Please don't say anything stupid to embarrass me," he said tactlessly as always.

"Wasn't planning on it, but now..." she mumbled. The Steward had made his way to the podium directly next to the door leading to the rest of the station. A spot light shown on him as he began speaking into the microphone.

"We have in attendance the Doctor and Cassandra Lee," he looked at them strangely as the Doctor waved at him, "Thank you. All staff to their positions." With a clap of his hands a horde of tiny blue people, what could be described as children, filled the deck. The Steward ordering them all the way, "Hurry, now. Thank you, quick as we can. Come along, come along." It was very amusing seeing the tiny children scamper around. It brought a smile to Cassie's face and she glanced at the Doctor; who, to her surprise, was already staring at her. He just smiled back and turned his attention to the steward as the children vacated the deck; with the exception of two who stood on either side of the door.

"Might I introduce the next honoured guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam," the door opened to reveal three tree-like people. Two male, one female, Jabe standing impressively in front, "We have trees, namely Jabe, Lute and Coffa. There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace." The trees filed into the room following the Stewards next request, "If you could keep the room circulating. Thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." A tiny blue man on a mechanical platform was brought through the doors. His face, in Cassie's opinion, seemed a bit cross.

"And next," the Steward continued without missing a beat as the newly arrived guests moved around the room, "From Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme..." the black-cloaked figures walked forward in solemn silence.

"The inventors of the Hypo-Slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen..." Two aliens stepped through the door; who, to Cassie, looked like something you might see in a dinosaur book in fur coats, "Cal Spark Plug..." Cassie wasn't even hearing the full introduction as she watched in wonder and awe as aliens with giant, hooded cloaks and metal masks entered, "Mr. and Mrs. Pacoon..." two bird creatures entered, and Cassie wasn't sure which was the Mr. and which was the Mrs., "The ambassadors from the city state of Binding light..." creatures that looked like bigger forms of Yoda (except not green) with smaller ears entered now. Cassie was distracted from more introductions as Jabe walked toward them with her gift of peace.

"The gift of peace," one of the male trees held out a tray of cuttings, "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather." Jabe placed it gently in the Doctor's hand as his face went from the exhilaration of receiving a gift, to worry that he did not have a gift in return.

"Thank you," _he at least remembered his manners_ Cassie thought to herself as he handed her the plant, "Yes. Gifts..." he padded himself down and, finding nothing on him, turned to Cassie who only shook her head. His eyebrow furrowed when, suddenly an idea came to him, "I give you in return...air from my lungs." he breathed on her and Jabe looked startled but intrigued by the gift.

"I hope you brushed your teeth," Cassie said under her breath as she examined the cutting. The Doctor only gave her a slight glare from the corner of his eye in return, before he turned his attention back to the tree in front of him.

"How...intimate," a sultry smile played on her lips that made Cassie want to laugh.

"There's more where that came from," Cassie wasn't sure if the Doctor was unintentionally flirting or if...nope. That could be the only answer. The Doctor may seem like he would be a master flirt, but honestly. It just was impossible to not laugh at him if he really tried.

"I bet there is," Jabe walked away, keeping her eyes on the Doctor as she went. Cassie put her hand over her mouth to contain her giggles as she began listening to the Steward again.

"From the Sliver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event," the doors opened to reveal a giant jar with a head inside, "Please welcome the Face of Boe," Jack! Cassie really stared at the Face to see if she could find any similarities between him and the man from the fifty-first century. She could maybe see his nose, the shape of the eyes, and defiantly the lips. Cassie decided that later she may go and have a chat with the Face.

The blue man came up to them next to offer the gift. Cassie stepped back subtly. Getting out of firing range. The Doctor remained oblivious, "The Moxx of Balhoun."

"My felicitations upon this historical happenstance," Cassie didn't understand half the sentence but smiled warmly any way. She couldn't believe that squeaky little voice really belonged to this giant mound of blue mush, "I bring you the gift of my bodily saliva," and then spit right in the Doctor's face. The Moxx rolled away as the Doctor started to splutter in indignation, with Cassie giggling into her hand right beside him.

"I'm glad you think this is funny," he semi-growled as he wiped his face and glared at her.

"Oh, don't be like that," she just rolled her eyes at his behavior, "You'd think it was perfectly alright if it had happened to me." He was about to retort but when the Meme came up to them.

"Ah, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme," he said as he straightened his jacket, "I bring you air from my lungs." he opened his mouth wide and breathed all over them. Milking a little to much.

"A gift of peace. In all good faith." the voice of the Meme rattled out like from the grave. It crawled up Cassie's spine and made her shutter. The Doctor noticed this from the corner of his eye as he accepted the small stainless steel ball. Cassie backed up even more as they turned their hooded gazes on her. She was brought out of her stunned fear as the Steward caught her attention again.

"And last but not least, our very special guest," the Steward brought on a little bravado in his voice as he continued, "Ladies and gentlemen and trees and multiforms...consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta 17." The doors opened to reveal a metal framework that held what appeared to be, at first glance, a canvass. But, it wasn't. It was huge piece of stretched skin. It was transparent enough that you could see the veins through it, pulsing blood. In the middle of the skin sat only a pair of blue eyes and a thin mouth. The framework was flanked by to men that were dressed in surgeon grab and carried cases with them. As it rolled into the room, the lips on the skin open to reveal that you could see right through them. No mouth, no vocal cords. Even though the skin began to speak.

"Oh, now don't stare," it had a drawling voice that surprised Cassie, "I know. I know, it's shocking isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away, and look at the difference, look how thin I am!" The stretched piece of skin, Lady Cassandra apparently, reminded Cassie of what the mother of prep-school popular girl might sound like, "Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand–moisturise me! Moisturise me!" at her command, the two surgeons beside her lifted two hose type things and sprayed her over. As the skin relished in the fine mist, the throat-less mouth continued to witter on about nothing.

"You're too kind. And all of you. Gathered here. For me. Truly, I am the Last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Dessert. They were born on Earth, and they were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them, and say good bye. No tears, no tears..." she started sniffling with what were clearly fake tears. Even if one of the surgeons did dab her eyes, "I'm sorry. Excuse me. But I bring gifts! Behold! From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg," the other surgeon brought forth the egg and set it in a display case, "The ostrich was made extinct in the Great Bird Flu of 2051. Legend says it had a wing-span of fifty feet, and blew fire from its nostrils," Cassie hid her snort as Cassandra went on to make a bad joke about her third husband, "Oh, no don't laugh, I'll get laughter-lines, stop! Oh! Mercy! And here!" she continued with her presentation, "Another rarity, some Old Earth entertainment-," the children from before rolled in an old jukebox.

"According to the archives, this was called an iPod, it stores classical music from humanity's great composers. Play on!" Cassie avoided the Doctor's glare at her as she began to giggle when 'Tainted Love' began playing. The Steward spoke over the music to inform the guests of refreshments being served and reminding them of Earthdeath in 30 minutes. As the guests began mingling; Cassie just looked around the room, jumping from one alien face to the next: Jabe, the Moxx, Cassandra, the Meme, and the Face. The Face slowly shifted its gaze from the tree it was talking to, to her. _Hello Cassie. _His whispered words echoing through her mind was the last straw. She gave a little startled gasp and ran out of the room.

The Doctor smiled a little as he watched her retreat. He was semi-relieved that she had begun to freak out. He had been waiting for it since he first met her. He started to follow her out when he was stopped by Jabe.

"Doctor," he turned in time to be blinded by a little flash, "Thank you." His eyebrows knitted together, but filed it under worry about later and stalked out of the room.

_**CLDW**_

In a different part of the station, Cassie stood next to wide window. Lost in thought. She was brought back to reality, if you could even call it that, by the sound of foot steps behind. She turned and saw another blue alien like the Steward. This one was a female and lacked the strange lines on her face. So it was either make-up or a different sexes thing. The blue alien seemed to be trying to make herself unnoticeable, but right now, Cassie needed someone to talk to.

"Sorry, I'm not in the way, am I?" small talk perfect way to strike up a conversation; or so she thought until there was no answer. There was a reason why the girl alien wasn't allowed to talk, but Cassie couldn't remem-, "Oh, I'm sorry," she hastily realized, "I forgot, you have my permission to talk." A warm smile crept over the girls blue lips as she stood from her crouching position.

"Thank you, miss. And your not in my way, guests are allowed anywhere." Short, but at least it was progress.

"Okay, thanks for clearing that up. What's your name?"

"Raffalo." she answered as she made her way back to the job she was doing.

"Nice name. I like it." and she did like it. The alien names that Russel T. Davis and Stephen Moffat came up with always appealed to her.

"Thank you, miss. I won't be long. I've just got to do some maintenance... There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite," she explained as she examined the wall panel and pulled a strange tool from the bag next to her, "Something must be blocking the system, he's not getting any hot water."

"And Jack will be so disappointed." she joked to herself under her breath.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing! So... a plumber. Still got plumbers in the future?" What else was she suppose to say to distract from her side comments.

"Hope so, or I'm out of the job." Cassie laughed a little at the joke.

"Where are you from?" Cassie wanted to memorize as many worlds as possible during her travels with the Doctor.

"Crespallion."

"And... that's a planet?" Cassie hated not knowing. She felt she was making a fool of herself.

"No, Crespallion is part of the Jaggit Brocade affiliated to the Scarlet Junction Convex Fifty-six," every single bit of that information flew right over Cassie's head. The only words that registered were Scarlet and Fifty-seven, "And where are you from, miss? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, don't be silly. It's fine. I'm from...", Cassie paused as she thought about how to answer this question. She stayed silent for a couple of minutes and watched Raffalo work for a bit, "A long way away. I'm not even sure how I got here. Well not 'here' here. I just sort of hitched a ride, with this man. Just met, but it's like I've known him all my life. Well, not my whole life 'cause that would be silly, but... I'm rambling, aren't I?" Raffalo gave her a gentle smile in conformation, "Sorry, I won't keep you. Good luck getting the Face a steamy shower." Raffalo chuckled as Cassie made her way to the exit.

"Thank you, miss. And... thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate."

"You're welcome. I hope to see you again, Raffalo." She left the room in search of a different place to brood.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat in the room she and the Doctor had originally found when they arrived.

"_Earthdeath in twenty-five minutes."_ The computer voice was getting extremely annoying to Cassie as it counted down to the death of her planet.

"Just what I wanted to here," she grumbled silently. She held both gifts they had received in her hands to look at them side by side. Feeling more inclined toward the organic plant than the cold ball of steel, Cassie set the ball down beside her and talked to the planet.

"This is probably the strangest thing I've ever done. And, I know your just a little cutting, but I really need someone to talk to and right now, you're all I have. So..." she trailed off as her mind ranged from different things. Rose, Jackie, and Mickey. The Doctor. Her mom and dad back in the old universe. Mom and dad..., "You know, I once had this family. Not here, but some where else. We lived in America, in this really podunk town called Paris. No, it's not the Paris your thinking of. We lived in Paris, Texas. Not really many people live there. At least, not in my little 'off the beaten track' suburb. I went to school with the same group of kids ever since kindergarten. And the never got any better over the years. I had about only one friend who would talk to me, but then he sort of got this crush on me and then the whole thing just got awkward. Anyway," Cassie realized she was rambling to a plant, "Back to my family. It was standard one. Mom, dad, sister. Nothing extraordinary, and sure, we did have our flaws, but we loved each other. No matter how many times my mom and sister annoyed the hell out of me. They were my family. We use to watch this TV show together. Called 'Doctor Who'. It was about the only thing all of us loved. Mom was hooked on 'The Martha Steward' show, Dad religiously watched 'Star Trek', Melly (my sister) lived and breathed 'Pretty Little Liars', and me. I was a die-hard Once Upon a Time-r. But, we all came together over 'Who'." The little leaves of the plant rustled in the air current of the stations ventilation system.

"I know what you're thinking (or not thinking). Why am I here when I could be home with them? Truth is, I don't know how I got here. Something brought me here. Something big. But I never found out what it was. I just woke up one day in this alley. There were these two guys there. Not gonna get into it. To summarize, they... were bad. But, it was okay cause that's when Rose and Mickey found me. They got me to a hospital and then let me come home with them when they realized I didn't have anyone. I became a part of their family. Literally, her mother (Jackie) adopted me two years after I came to live with them. It was amazing of them to do that..." Cassie paused as a tear rolled down her face, "I really miss them." She let more tears roll down her cheeks as she fingered the plant.

"Aye, aye," a voice called out from behind her. She quickly wiped the tears from her face and turned to see the Doctor walking through the sliding door, "What do you think, then?"

"Oh, yeah! It's good. It's great!" she fell silent as she wondered how much of that he'd heard. Not wanting to make an awkward moment even more so, Cassie said the first thing that popped into her mind, "They all speak English."

"You just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS," he explained as he sat down next to her, "Telepathic field, gets into your brain, translates."

"Sounds good," Cassie and the Doctor fell silent once again. Unable to come up with another topic, Cassie decided to just bite the bullet and ask him, "Doctor, how much of that did you here?"

He gave her a wistful smile and walked over to the window, "You miss your mum and sister. It's understandable, you're in a different world. We all want something familiar in the unknown." His gaze grew farther and farther away as he spoke, dreaming of burnt orange skies and deep red grass waving in the wind. Cassie went to stand beside him and put an hand on his shoulder. And it felt like an electric shock was running through the Doctor's arm. He quickly yanked it away and stood to glare at Cassie, only to be met by a face of confusion and hurt. Not a face of someone who had intentionally shocked you. But the shock didn't feel like any ordinary static. It was like a shock of raw energy plowing through the moment. He quickly brought her hand to his arm again, but felt nothing.

"You alright, Doctor?" A question mark could almost be seen floating above her head.

"Ah, yeah," he still stared at her hand for a minute until he answered, "Do you want to talk to them?"

"Of course, but we're not exactly in range are we?" She was still slightly disconcerted at how the Doctor had acted when she had touched his arm. Was he really that wary of human closeness?

"Tell you what," he said getting back to his old self, "With a little jiggery-pokery..." he held his hand out and waited for the phone to be placed in it. Cassie smiled a little as she did so.

"Jiggery-pokery? Getting technical are we."

"I came first in jiggery-pokery, what about you."

"Naw, failed hullabaloo. Not really a mechanical girl." With a last whirl from the sonic, he handed the phone back to her and looked at her expectantly, "Are you serious?" He just gestured to the phone again. She scrolled through her contacts until she found 'Home(Jackie)' and hit send. It buzzed for a second before...

"Hello?"

"Mrs-Mom."

"It's mum. I've told ya. Anyway, what's wrong wha' 'ave I done now? These purple jeans are shreddin' to nothin', you should ge' your money back – go no, you never phone in the middle of the day, it must be something, wha'?" Cassie never thought she would be grateful to hear Jackie complain and natter on. All she could do was laugh into the phone line, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. You all right? How's Rose and Mickey?" She wanted so ask so many questions, but settled for the two most important.

"We're fine, why wouldn't we be? And shouldn't you know about Rose more than me?"

"I, uh haven't seen Rose all day. By the way, what day is it?" She should have ask that question first, even if it was a little strange looking at it from Jackie's point of view.

"Wednesday all day, 'ave you go' a hangover? Did Mickey take you to the pub again? Never mind, I'll find out later. Tell you what, put a quid in that lot'ery syndicate. I'll pay you back later." Cassie contained her laughter this time and quickly responded.

"Yeah, course. I just called to say I'm probably gonna be late home."

"Is something wrong?" Jackie asked with a concerned voice.

"Nope, absolutely fine. High as the sky. See ya," and she hit 'End call'. She just stared at the phone for a while before looking back at the Doctor, "That was fantastic!"

"Think that's amazing, wait till you see the bil-," he was cut off when Cassie almost climbed on top of him for a hug.

"That was five billion years ago! Sure they might be dead now, but a five billion year time travel call? How cool is that!?"

"Bundle of laughs, you are." She wanted to smack him, but before she got the chance, the whole station gave a small lurch, "That's not suppose to happen." he whispered, concern riddled through his words.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie followed the Doctor back into the main greeting room as he went immediately to a computer panel and began to fiddle with it.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," he explained as he stabbed at the buttons fiercely, "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that..." he suddenly turned and looked at someone behind Cassie, "What d'you think Jabe?" the tree women kept on her smile even in surprise, "Listen to the engines, they've pitched up about thirty hertz, is that dodgy?"

"It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me," she answered smoothly back.

"Where's the engine room?" _How would she know that?_ Cassie thought. What guest would know that?

"I don't know," she came a step closer, "But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you. And... your wife."

"Oh, no I'm not-" Cassie began but was quickly cut off by the Doctor.

"She's not my wife," a small smile playing on his lips. _Enough with the flirting!_

"Partner?"

"You might want to ask me tha-"

"No," the Doctor inched closer.

"Concubine?"

"Now hold on-"

"Nope." _Thanks for the defense, Doctor._

"Prostitute?"

"OKAY! Whatever I am is obviously invisible," her voice raised over the din to be heard, "I am not a prostitute. I am not a hooker. I am not a paid escort, or a lady of the evening, or whatever it is you call it now a days. I am a girl who is traveling. And right now I'm going to leave you two to pollinate and go and talk to Michel Jackson." She stepped away from the smirking Doctor and the shocked into silence tree.

"Don't start a fight," the Doctor called to her retreating back. Cassie paused briefly only to turn and stick her tongue out at him. Cassie continued on till she turned around and shouted.

"And I want you back by 10!" The Doctor only lifted his hand in a salute.

_**CLDW**_

"It's so rare for someone to take an interest in history, bless you," Cassie was following the metal framework of Cassandra with her surgeons following slightly behind, "So much of my sweet planet had been looted, or lost." Cassie caught a glimpse of the Magna Carta in a display case, "There are people who think it's just a story, to scare the children. 'If you don't behave, we'll send you to Earth.'" The next case they passed held 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', "And that's what it becomes today. A story. The final chapter." They went closer to the viewing window, "Soon, the Sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. I've encountered a red giant before. My fourth husband had one. Oh no no no! To funny! Oh no, Cassandra, behave!" The sheet of skin next to Cassie, who was giggly over her bad joke, suddenly began to panic, "Oh my God, wrinkle! I've wrinkled! Ow ow ow, I can feel it, ouch, oh damn these laughter lines, I'm too witty for my own good, can you see it, can you see it?"

"Just barely," Cassie admitted as she squinted at the area of skin.

"Left eye, left eye, help me!" One of the surgeons ran forward with a scalpel in hand, "Cut it out, cut it _out_!" The scalpel entered the skin with ease and swiftly cut through it. To Cassie, the piece of skin looked like leather. No blood, "Moisturise me, moisturise me! I told you it was getting hotter! Stop wasting time, pull it! Pull it!" The surgeon tugged the skin till it touched the frame. It uttered a disturbing creaking noise, "Ohhhhhh that's lovely. Ohhh you big strong man. And a bit more. Pull it! Ohh!" Cassie was growing uncomfortable with the noises Cassandra was making, "Ohh thank you. Oh that's better. Ohh yes. Moisturise me!" With a final spray, the surgeons retreated to their original positions, "Where were we?"

Cassie stared in shock at the skin woman in front of her, "Absolutely no idea."

"Oh look, you see, that's where I used to live," they gazed out the window at a point on the planet below then, "When I was a little boy. Down there. Mummy and daddy had a house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevasse. Oh, I'd have such fun."

"But, you can't really be the last one," Cassie reasoned, "I mean unless everyone else was killed in giant meteor strike. Where is everyone else?" Cassie was getting tired of hearing Cassandra's stories about her life and was getting a funny feeling ever since she accidentally said her name was Collin.

"Everywhere. The colonists, then the imperialists, then the great Space Arks. They say mankind has touched every star in the sky." Her voice gained a tone of disgust as she spoke.

'Then, you're really not the last one?"

"I'm the Last _Pure _Human. The others... mingled."

"So they married other species. They're still human." Cassandra's attitude was really starting to piss Cassie off. She never could stand holier-than-thou people. Probably why she never got along with any of her 'southern belle' classmates.

"Oh, they may call themselves New Humans and Protohumans and Digihumans, even Humanish, but d'you know what I call them? Mongrels."

"So you just preserved yourself, then?" Cassie sniffed in indignation.

"I kept myself pure."

"At what price? How many operations have you had?"

Cassandra didn't seem to notice the change in Cassie's body language and voice and just wheeled in closer like they were sharing secrets, "708. Next week, it's 709, I'm having my blood bleached," she made it sound as if it was just like dying your hair blue, "Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Cassie. Oh! My name sake! But you do have a little bit of a chin poking out. And my surgeons are the best."

"No one is coming anywhere near me. Especially not you're freaky man servants!"

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt." Cassandra began to get slightly miffed at Cassie's insult to her surgeons.

"No, honestly. You would have to kill me before I turned into something like you. A bitchy, little trampoline!" Cassandra's frame rolled back a little in surprise.

"Oh, well what do you know?" Dismissing Cassie like most adults did.

"I was born on that planet down there. And so was my mom and dad, making me officially the last human here. Because you're- I don't even know what you are. But it's not a New Human or even Humanish. All your humanity was thrown away like trash. All you are is a giant leather belt with blue eyes and a mouth that never stops," Cassie huffed out as she ended her rant, "Nice talking to you." She stalked out of the room, wanting more then anything to talk to Rose.

Cassie made it out the door before she came to a wall of black cloaks blocking her way. The Meme stood in front of her, rattling breath pulled through their unseen mouths.

"Um? Excuse me." Cassie tried. Only to be met with a swipe at the head. She had the sensation of falling before she lost consciousness.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie blinked into consciousness as she registers Britany Spears' 'Toxic' being filtered through the station. She groaned in pain as she felt her head, a bump forming where her fingers pressed. She knew from her spotty memory that something happened at this point to Rose, but with her dizziness and her rapidly deteriorating memory, she wasn't entirely sure.

_'Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending.' _Cassie shot up from her position on the floor as the computers voice and the blinding light in the room, now descending the wall made her remember. She immediately ran toward the door; slapping and kicking as she yelled.

"Help! Someone! Anyone! Get me out! Doctor!" She eyed the lowering sun wall as she continued to bang on the door. She stopped for a beat to catalog every place in the room where she could hide.

"Anyone in there?" came through the door like a sweet angel. Cassie turned her attention back to the door.

"Doctor! It's me! And, yes! Before you say it, it had to be me! I stupidly pissed off the boss of this operation."

"I can barely hear you! Hold on, give two ticks..." his voice muffled through the door as she heard the soft whine of the sonic working.

"Oh, no take your time. I'll just stay I here and smoke weenies!" she snipped back in anxiety.

_'Sunfilter Rising. Sunfilter Rising'_

"Keep on it! The computer's clever!" The words had barely left her mouth before the computer voice answered back.

_'Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending.'_

"How did you know that!?" the Doctor's voice came through the door as Cassie sank down to avoid the light.

"Never mind how! Just stop it and don't get cocky!" As the rays of burning light came to close to Cassie, she dived for the lowest step on the platform she was on to buy herself a few more minutes for the Doctor. It took a few more minutes and dangerously close centimeters till the light began to rise.

_'Sunfilter rising. Sunfilter rising.'_

"Thanks for that you useless machine!" Cassie took her frustration out on the machine as she made her way back to the door.

"The whole thing's jammed, I can't open the door-stay there, don't move," he called through the door to Cassie as he started to leave.

"Hey! Doctor," Cassie called him back, "You be careful. Be mindful of the _Ladies _and gentlemen." Cassie tried to give him a hint without making him to suspicious. A few seconds past when she thought the Doctor was gone, "And I'm so sorry Jabe." The whisper came out as homage to the soon to be dead woman.

Unknown to Cassie, the Doctor was still listening outside the door and his hearts frozen as her comment was heard through the door. He shook his head and walked off.

_'Earthdeath in five minutes, Earthdeath in five minutes.'_

_**CLDW**_

_'Earthdeath in two minutes.'_

Cassie leaned her back against the scorched wall. Waiting, for what felt like hours, for the Doctor to end this. She was still fingering the plant she had managed to save before the burning sun outside had killed it completely

"I wish I could talk to my mom," she whispered to the plant. She didn't even care if it was her actual mom or Jackie. Both felt comforting and safe right about now.

_'Warning! Platform One unsafe. Warning! Platform One unsafe.' _

"No, duh you stupid computer," Cassie muttered as her phone began to chime. She grappled for it in her pocket. When she finally wrestled it from her pocket she saw the ID, "Mom?"

"No, listen, I won't keep you, but I switched the freezer off by mistake, it's all defrosted, so we're 'aving a mixed bag tonight. Tell your sister and that boyfriend of 'er's, I've got paella and beefburgers and that tex-mex thing-,"

"Sounds good, mom. I'll be up for anything you've got."

"Well, li'tle out of character aren't we? Maybe that hangover is doing you good. Now off you go, I won' keep you-,"

"No! Please don't hang up, mom!"

"You ge' back to work, go on."

"No, I mean. I haven't found anything yet. And I know it's stupid to wait this long to find something, but I swear. I'll find something, mom."

"Wow. Most times you've called me mum without stu'tering to Mrs. Tyler. I love that."

"Guess I just got use to it. But, you know. We could stay on the line and talk?"

"Oh I like that! Every time I phone up, you 'aven't got time, you and you're sister, now all of a sudden you're beggin'. Well excuse me, I'm not 'angin' on you're every word, I'm a very busy woman-I'll see you tonight-," and the lined clicked off.

"Bye mom." Cassie whispered sadly into the phone.

_'Warning, abandon ship. Warning, abandon ship...'_

"Will you shut up!"

_**CLDW**_

_'Exterior breach. Exterior breach...'_

Cassie stiffened against the wall as a huge crack made its way across the window. More cracks branched off and more from those. The window had become one, big slab of shallow cracks. But some of the cracks had begun to glow as the grew deeper and deeper.

"Come on, Doctor. Come on."

A solid piece of light broke through into the room to Cassie's right and caused her to jump to one side to avoid it. Another stretch of white light sparked on her left, and left Cassie boxed into the middle.

"You can do it. I know you can do it. You always do it."

_'Earthdeath imminent. Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight-'_

Cassie tried making herself smaller as the lights on either side of her come closer and closer together. Even with death very close at hand, the computers countdown still pisses her off.

_'Seven, six, five, four-' _

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut as a reflex to the danger on either side of her.

_'Three, two, one. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair.'_

"Yes!" Cassie called out as the lights were pulled away from her sides and she toppled backward when the door unexpectedly opened.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie walked into the main viewing deck and surveyed the repair work going on in the now so much smaller room then it seemed before. Some of the blue children were putting out the slight fires in the room. Others were wiping down the tank of The Face of Boe. Cassie gave the Face a meaningful look which it returned. She looked over to the mourning children beside the Moxx of Balhoun's cushion. Nothing but dust now. Her attention was brought to the door on the other side of the room when it opened to reveal the Doctor coming through. A look of controlled fury on his face. He stopped to inform the trees of what happened to Jabe.

"May you rest in peace, Jabe," Cassie whispered to herself. The Doctor left the trees to their mourning and walked through the debris, smiling grimly to Cassie.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. You okay?" She asked the question even though she already knew the answer.

"Oh, I'm full of ideas. Bristling with 'em! Idea number one: teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some sort of Feed," he walked over to the case still containing the ostrich egg Cassandra had brought, "Idea number two: this Feed must be hidden nearby," he picked up egg and smashed it without so much as a second thought. Revealing a chunky device hidden inside, "Idea number three: if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation Feed can be reversed." He knelled down to the device and twisted a dial on it. Cassandra slowly came back into existence, seemingly, in the middle of a story.

"Ohhh, you should've seen their little alien faces, all helpless and bleating and," she finally realized where she was again, "Oh."

"The Last Human." The Doctor sneered this name as if it was an unmentionable disease.

"So. You passed my little test. Bravo!" Cassandra trying to lie her non-existent butt off, "This makes you eligible to join, um, the Human Club-" Cassie tutted under her breath in the woman's insulting excuse for her actions.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." The Doctor got straight to the point.

"It depends on your definition of people," almost mimicking the words of the Doctor when they had first arrived, "And that's enough technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries." As if the Doctor would do something as mundane as sue her, "Take me to court then, Doctor, and witness the effect of beauty upon the legal system. Oh, I will dazzle them! Charm the sternest jury. Seduce the stiffest judge," she thought a lot of herself for just piece of skin, "You stand in court, and watch me smile and cry and flutter-"

"And creak?" the Doctor cut in.

"And what?" Cassandra asked in haste. Confused as, it seemed, much as anyone else in the matter.

"Creak. You're creaking."

"What?" And it was true. Every time she opened her mouth or even blinked, the creaking grew louder and louder. She began to panic.

"I'm drying out! Oh sweet heavens, moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons, my lovely boys? It's too hot!" Her speech became more and more strained as her mouth stretched along with the rest of her.

"You raised the temperature." His voice almost relishing in the pain inflicted on the delicate skin woman.

"Oh dear God, have pity! Moisturise me! I'm to dry, oh Doctor-I'll do anything, please, I'm sorry-" Cassie wanted nothing more than to watch the woman responsible for her almost dieing be ripped to shreds. But she knew the Doctor needed to heal, and the only way to do that was to convince him to help.

"Will you help her?"

"Everything had its time. And everything dies," he snapped back at her, teeth gritted. She went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, like before.

"But not everything has to die now." The Doctor's stance relaxed subtly as he turned to search her eyes for something. They were brought back to events by Cassandra's guttural cry.

"I'm to young! I'm to young!" Holes appeared in the middle of her face and grew wider until she literally exploded out of her frame.

_**CLDW**_

_'Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance. Closing down...'_

Cassie stood in the empty viewing deck on the station, and listened to the monotone of the computer voice. For once, she didn't wish it to the most evil pits of hell. She became aware of the Doctor behind her and turned to see him leaning up against the door frame.

"The Earth ended in a giant red ball explosion. And no one even noticed it. We were all to busy looking out for ourselves. Even I had my eyes shut when the countdown reached one. No one saw. All the history, my history. It's gone and no one even witnessed it's passing." As she talked, the Doctor slowly made his way to stand beside her.

"Come with me." He held out his hand for her and she took it. Leading the way to the TARDIS.

_**CLDW**_

After the bumping, jerking, and noise of the TARDIS, Cassie stepped outside its electric blue doors to an ordinary day. Her time. A huge crowd of people passing by. Without a care in the world.

"You think it's going to last forever," the Doctor said beside her, "People and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's gone. Even the sky." He paused in his speech in order for Cassie to say anything, but was met with silence. The Doctor took a deep breath, deciding something then and there, "My planet's gone. It's dead. It burnt like the Earth, it's just rocks and dust. Before its time."

"I'm sorry," Cassie said softly. Not surprised at the information, "Was it natural or was it war?"

"War. And we lost." Short, but weighted with so much grief in every syllable.

"And the people?"

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor, I'm left traveling on my own, cos there's no one else."

"You've got me." Cassie was a little hurt that he didn't consider her a companion yet.

"You've seen how dangerous it is," _And here comes the scare tactics again_, "D'you want to got home?"

"No." She answered a immediately after he asked her. No doubt in her mind of the answer.

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"You know what I want?" she asked him seriously as the smell of fried food caused her stomach to gurgle, "Chips."

The Doctor smiled at her answer, "Me too."

"Right!" she stood up from the bench they had ended up sitting on, "Before we get back in a box that can whiz, bang, boom us off to any time or space, let's have some chips. And you can pay."

He looked sheepish as he held out his empty pockets, "No money."

Cassie laughed, "What rubbish date are you? Come on cheapskate. Foods on me. Five billion years till the close right."

He nodded as he took her hand and led her to one of the street vendors on the side of the road. Laughing all the way.

**A/N: I know some of you out there might be wondering when Cassie's gonna spill her secret to the Doctor. But what kind of author would I be if I tell you how this stories gonna pan out. What would be the point. Would you read a book if you already knew how it ended? So, you'll just have to be patient. **

**But, I will tell you this. Since the story is called "Secrets" of a Companion, there will be more than just "the big secret" coming out. At the end of every series we'll have a secret of Cassie's come out. So like Davis and Moffat, there will be little hits riddled throughout the episodes. I hope all of you are enjoying the story so far. **

**And just a little tip. I'll probably crank the chapters out faster if there are more reviews posted. Unless it's mid-term or final week. Or if my teachers want to be especially cruel and schedule a test every single day of the week. Thanks to everyone for reading. **


	4. Chapter 4: The Unquiet Dead

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

The TARDIS tipped and tumbled through the Time Vortex as the Doctor did his status quo of not piloting it correctly. Which, if by any indication of the groaning engines, she was not very happy about. Cassie hung on to the main console, holding the button down that the Doctor had indicated to her. The lights were dipping in out making visual sight very sketchy.

"Hold that one down!" The Doctor pointed at a lever in another section of the console.

"I'm already holding this one down!" Cassie snapped back in annoyance of his glee of the situation. But, that was the Doctor. Finding the joy in a hurricane.

"Hold them both!" He scrambled around the console to mash down more buttons and levers.

"Sure! I'll just break my arms for something that's not gonna work!"

"Oi! No complaining! I promised you a time machine, and that's what you're getting," more buttons were pushed and knobs were spun, "You've seen the future, now let's have a look at the past," he paused as he glanced down at the screen in front of him, "1860! How does 1860 sound!?"

"What's so special about 1860!?"

"Let's find out! Hold on-here we go!"

_**CLDW**_

Cassie suddenly lost her grip on the console, button, and lever; and went flying backwards on the floor along with the Doctor. Both of them just smiled at each other and stood up.

"Jeez," Cassie's first words were to break the silent.

"You're telling me," the Doctor agreed, "You all right?"

"Probably. Doesn't feel like anything's broken. Did we make?"

He quickly grabbed the screen and smiled, "I did it! Give the man a medal," Cassie just shook her head at his ego. Promising herself to get him back for it later, "Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860."

"Wow," Cassie breathed, "It's Christmas time." She looked at the doors, just itching to period dress and explore 19th century Cardiff as Rose did in the episode.

"All yours." The Doctor gave a grand gesture at the door with a smile.

"No, but I mean. It's Christmas Eve 1860 only once. Then it's just gone on the 25th. No one can ever go back and relive it. Except for you," Cassie was getting lost in her words. Not paying attention, being careless, "You can go back to the time of Queen Victoria or forward to the End of the Universe. Visiting aliens worlds of a hundred thousand different species. From huge, green, farting aliens to space vultures. I can see why you never settle down."

The Doctor gave her suspicious look from the corner of his eye as she described some species like Raxacoricofallapatorions and the Shanseeth with to much detail to just be random words. This girls choice of words and riddles was starting to peak the Doctor's interest even more then her reactions to things did. She was very interesting. He didn't, however, want to confront her about it yet. This was only there second trip and, the Doctor had to admit. He liked having her here. He didn't feel as alone with her here, "Not a bad life."

"I think it would be better with two," she stated simply as she looked back at him for a second before she sprinted toward the door leading to the other part of the TARDIS.

"Where are you going!?" The Doctor couldn't believe she was running away.

"It's 1860 out there. I can't exactly go out like this." She indicated her dark-wash jeans, red, form-fitting top, and black, hoodie jacket. The Doctor's eyes lingered slightly on the top before snapping them up to her face.

"Fair point. There's a wardrobe down there, first left, second right, third on the left, go straight-" He was cut off by Cassie coming over to him and placing a hand over his mouth.

"Just never mind. She'll help me." She turned in a quick twirl as she left the Doctor to ponder her acceptance of the TARDIS as a living conciseness. The door was closed behind her, but was opened a crack to allow Cassie to stick her head out, a second later, "And if I'm dressing up in period wear, so are you! No just changing your sweater!" And the door closed.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie stepped back into the console in a peach colored dress. Unlike Rose's dress in the episode, this one had sleeves that fell about three-quarters down her arm and gathered a little around the elbow. It also had four bows cascading down the front and the back of the floor length dress trailed into a semi-train. The only jewelry she wore was a black choker with a yellow topaz in the middle. Seeing as it was December outside of the TARDIS, Cassie found a brown shawl to pair with the outfit. Her hair fell in soft curls around her face in a half up/half down style. A small clip for decoration wedged into the bun.

"Blimey." The Doctor said from his place at the console.

"You like?" Cassie did a little twirl for him, holding the folds of the dress out to show it off more. His eyes slowly followed her figure up and watched as the bodice of the dress hugged her waist. His eyes finally made it to her face and saw the smirk on it. He quickly looked away and coughed slightly.

"You look beautiful. Considering." Still not looking her in the eye. He tinkered with a few more wires as he heard scoff come from her lips.

"Considering what?"

"That you're human."

She took a deep breath, bottling her anger, and put a smile on her face, in place of the smirk, "I'm taking that as a compliment. And I told you to change!" He only smirked and fingered his jumper.

"I've changed my 'sweater'. Americans and their funny slang." He took her arm before she could retort back, "Come on." As they made it to the door, Cassie let go of the Doctor's arm and cut him off.

"I'm doing this. You've had plenty of time to relish in the moment. It's my turn." She pulled them open with so much excitement that they hit the walls on either side of the frame. The TARDIS gave a disgruntled shutter as they exited the machine and Cassie gave a silent apology.

Cassie, in her haste, stumbled out of the TARDIS and made the first footsteps in the road before the ancient box. She gently patted the beginnings of a drift near the door. Her ungloved hand came back red and dripping with the melted snow trailing off it. She found strange comfort in the stinging sensation crawling through her fingers. She continued to stare at the hand as the Doctor exited the TARDIS.

"Ready for this?" A light in his eyes as he saw the wonder in hers. She held a finger and walked a few paces away from him. She went up on her toe so to not break the heel of her period shoe, and spun around in the falling snow; giggling as the small flakes tickled her nose. She stopped in mid-spin when she heard a small chuckle behind her. She looked over, grinning and nearly skipping back to the Doctor; taking his hand, "Here we go. History."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie's head whipped around to get a look at every single person and place in the crossroads. Women and men strolling through the streets, arm in arm. Some in expensive clothing and some in shabbier rags. Caroling people walking in a massive group like you would normally see in a 21st century mall. Children running beside the horse drawn carriages and laughing, despite the cold assaulting them through their thin clothes.

The Doctor unlaced his arm from Cassie's and went to pay a newsvendor for a paper. Cassie walking a little ways ahead, to absorbed in the scenery to notice.

"I got the flight a bit wrong." The Doctor came up behind her after he'd looked at the headline of the paper.

"What else is knew?" Cassie answered back not caring if they were off by a few years. It didn't matter if they were in 1200 at the court of King Richard or in 2375 in the country of Zimbabwe. It was amazing.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"Doesn't matter."

"And it's not Naples."

"It doesn't matter."

"It's Cardiff."

Cassie spun around and put her hands on his shoulders, "How many times do I have to tell you? It. Doesn't. Matter." He sighed and led her across the street, dodging horse carriages and running children alike. They finally reached the other side of the street, only to hear a scream emanate from the theatre.

"That's more like it!" The Doctor exclaimed and rushed off followed by Cassie, trying to keep up in her heels.

_**CLDW**_

After the Doctor and Cassie battled through the crowd of panicking people (which was, frankly, almost equally terrifying as facing a Dalek) they finally made it into the theatre just in time to see an old women standing erect, in the audience with blue smoke coming out of her mouth. The smoke was shrieking and streaming through the room, making the last remaining people scamper for the exit.

The Doctor sprinted towards the stage to the astonished looking bearded man (AKA Charles Dickens) standing there. Cassie stayed in the back of the audience seating to keep an eye on the alien. While everyone else was clued into the creature rising through the air, Cassie was the only one to see two people (a man and a woman) run through the row and sling the old woman over the man's shoulder. Her eyes followed them out as she warred with herself. Should she go or should she stay? She really doesn't want to be drugged and trapped in a room with murderous dead people. But, if she doesn't go, how would the Doctor know where to go to look for the 'ghosts'.

"Ugh, I'm so gonna regret this," she mumbled as she hiked up her dress to run, "Never wearing heals on an adventure again. I'll go with Ten's style. Nice clothing, proper footwear."

He gave a call to the Doctor as she followed the pair out, him not even glancing over; continuing his conversation with Dickens.

"Hey! The two of you! You can't do that!" She called as she rushed out the door in time to see the head of the old lady disappear into the hearse. The man hid behind the carriage, leaving the explaining to the woman (Gwyneth), who did look remarkably like Gwen (Same actress, what you gonna do?).

"Oh it's a tragedy, miss, don't worry yourself, me and the master'll deal with things." Cassie catching every word of the woman's garbled, Welsh speech thanks to her extensive watching of Torchwood, "Fact is, this poor lady's been taken with a brain-fever and we have to get her to the infirmary-" Cassie pushed past the woman and grabbed the lady's hand just to see if it was really true. Her hand felt nothing but ice as it wrapped around the sickly fingers. Cassie's other hand went her mouth in horror and disgust.

"She's really dead," she whispered to herself, "I'm so sorry for this to have been done to you." Cassie squeezed her hand before she retracted it from the stone cold grip and stepped backward... Only to be bumped into by the man as her clapped his hand with the white cloth around her mouth. Cassie struggled against the arm on instinct, even though she knew it would be pointless. Her vision grew fuzzier and fuzzier until her hands dropped to her sides. She was still semi-conscious, but not enough to fight back. Only to listen.

"What d'you that for?" the woman exclaimed as Cassie was practically on the ground.

"She's seen to much! And likewise, did you hear the way she talked? She may know something about this! Get her in the hearse!" She felt two pairs of hands lift her from the ground, one pair lingered a little to long and ghosted over her body. Her sub-conscious summoned up some disturbing images of Jay and Mike.

"Cassie!" She was broken from her nightmarish fantasies as the Doctor called her name before the door of the hearse was closed.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie felt herself being laid down on a table somewhere in the Mortuaries home. The man (who Cassie remembered his name was Sneed) and Gwyneth had already laid the dead woman back in her coffin next to her grandson.

"The poor girl's still alive," Gwyneth suddenly said, "What are we going to do with her?" Cassie was eager to hear the answer to that question as well. While she may know what happened in the original series, this was a completely different time line. Rose was still back in 2005 and Cassie didn't even exist in this reality. Well, she technically did, but she still lived in Paris, Texas with her original family. And she had quite a few music and writing awards, to add to her ego.

"I don't know!" Sneed exclaimed, bringing Cassie back to the present, "I didn't plan any of this, did I? Is it my fault if the dead won't stay dead? She might be a better help then me! We'll just have to wait 'til she wakes up."

"We can't expect a child to know anything of this darkness," Gwyneth retorted back, "And if it's not your fault, then whose fault it it, sir? Why is this happening to us?"

Footsteps trailed out of the room and a click was heard as the door was locked. Leaving Cassie alone with two very undead corpses.

_**CLDW**_

Slowly, control over her body came back to Cassie. And with it came the pain. The pounding in her head was only equal to the ache that she felt in her arms and legs. She sat up slowly, lifting her hand to her forehead. Hoping the added pressure from her hand would soothe the steady drum beat. It didn't.

She swung her legs over the table and stood up shakily, holding on to the edge of it for support. Once she regained her balanced Cassie quickly rushed to the door and tested the handle in vain. She leaned her forehead against the door until she heard a creak behind her. Turning around, Cassie saw the grandson sitting bolt upright in his coffin. His face had a ghostly glow to it as he breathed in more of the gaseous creature from the gas fixture.

"Okay, no need to be hostile," Cassie pressed her back against the door looking the dead man walking in the eye, "I know who you are. You're the Gelth. See, I know about you." Cassie was just talking, rambling. Buying time until the Doctor could get there. But it didn't seem to be working as the old woman sat up in her coffin as well. Both managed to get out of their boxes and started steadily walking towards her.

Cassie, not seeing any other option, took off both shoes and lobbed them at the advancing corpses. Her feet felt immediate relief, but the bodies only staggered a little as the shoes hit them squarely in the chests and glanced off them. Not even making them fall backwards.

"Knew that wouldn't work," Cassie mumbled, "'Kay, now it's time for some noise. Doctor!"

The grandson reached out a hand to her only to be met with a kick that knocked him to the floor. The woman was still coming, but she tripped over the legs on her grandson and fell next to him, "Doctor! Now would be a good time to come!" She turned her back to the floundering corpses and beat her fists against the door, "Open the door! Please!" With Cassie focusing on the door, the corpses righted themselves and made their way closer to her. Cassie felt an icy cold touch around her waist as the grandson pulled her away from the door, "Let go! I don't need grab hands from you to!" Cassie struggled as the grandson pulled her arms behind her back in a vice like grip.

The door was suddenly kicked open and in the frame stood the Doctor, Dickens, Gwyneth, and Sneed. They stood there staring at the scene before them with wide eyes.

"Anytime you want to get me out of here!" Cassie called as they just stood there. The Doctor came to his senses first and yanked Cassie out of the room and into the hall.

"I think this is my dance, thank you-"

"It's a prank. Must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." The Doctor was about to retort when Cassie cut across him.

"Really? You're going with that?" the Doctor just grinned.

"Hi."

"Hi," Cassie answered back, breathless, "I leave you alone for a few minutes and you pick up Charles Dickens." The Doctor just ignored her and spoke to the dead.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" The grandson opened his mouth and an unearthly wail emanated.

"_Failing! Open the rift. We are dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us..." _The two bodies tilted their heads back as the gas escaped from their mouths and they toppled to the floor.

_**CLDW**_

"First, you steal a woman in plain sight. Granted she was dead, but still you can't do that! Then you shove a foul smelling handkerchief in my face," Cassie was reaming Sneed out for everything between here and the moon, "And don't think I didn't feel you're little... Exploration! Dirty bastard!" Cassie shuddered as she thought of the experience. The Doctor gently put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"I won't be spoken to like this-" Sneed interjected and tried to stand.

"Oh, no! I'm not done with you yet. Then you put me in a room with the a live play action of 'Night of the Living Dead' and leave me to die. So you better come out with the truth mister!"

"It's not my fault," Sneed defended himself, "It's this house! Always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother, till about three months back. Then the stiffs-" All the people in the room gave him a disgusted look at his derogatory term for the dead, "Er, the dear departed-started getting restless."

"Tommyrot!" Cassie just rolled her eyes as Dickens denied the obvious. Sneed was the one answer him this time.

"But you witnessed it! Can't keep the beggers down, sir, they walk," the Doctor was deep in thought as Sneed continued in his explanation, "And it's the queerest thing, they hang onto scraps of their old selves. One old fella-used to be a sexton-almost walked into his own memorial service. Like the old lady, going to your performance, just as she'd planned." Gwyneth entered the room with a trey of cups.

"Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." She set the cup of tea in front of the Doctor, who followed her with his eyes as she continued around the room. Stopping at Cassie next.

"I just brought you coffee with some chocolate mixed in," the maid gave Cassie a warm smile as she went to give Charles his drink. Cassie smiled down at her favorite drink, thinking of how the beverage wouldn't even be invented for a few decades or so, let alone be called Mocha coffee.

"Morbid fancy," Dickens muttered as he took his drink.

"Charles, you were there," the Doctor tried to reason with the writer as Cassie payed more attention to Gwyneth then the annoying disbeliever.

"I saw nothing but an illusion."

"If you're gonna deny it, don't waste my time, just shut up." Cassie would have told him the same thing, but it didn't seem her place to yell at a historical figure. Not yet anyway. Dickens quieted down with a hurt look on his face as the Doctor turned back to Sneed, "What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that."

"Means it's getting stronger. The rift's getting wider, and something's sneaking through."

"And the rift is...?" Cassie asked for the benefit of everyone else in the room. Also to pause the Doctor in his self rambling before he gathered steam.

"A weak point, in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time." He said off-handedly without much thought.

"That's how I got the house so cheap," Sneed interjected, "Stories go back generations. Echoes in the dark. Queer songs in the air. And this feeling, like a shadow passing over your soul. Truth be told, it's been good for business, just what people expect from a gloomy trade like mine."

Cassie shook her head in disgust and noticed Dickens sneaking out of the room.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie had followed Gwyneth into the tiny kitchen with the leftover cups to wash and dry them. Gwyneth protesting all the way.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping, it's not right." Trying to take the cups out of Cassie's hands.

"Don't be silly. You've probably done your fair share of work for Sneed. How much does he pay you?"

"Eight pounds a year, miss."

"What! Twelve dollars a year?" Cassie was shocked. She had gotten pretty good at converting English money to American money and twelve dollars a year was just unacceptable.

"A dollar, miss? Isn't that American currency?" Gwyneth asked with a perturbed smile on her face.

"Oh! Um, yeah. I mean, yes. As you can probably tell by the accent I grew up in America. But, I was just surprised at the amount," Cassie covered quickly for herself.

"I know!" Gwyneth smiled with excitement, "I'd've been happy with six!" _Culture shock. I just have to get used to the culture shock. _Cassie thought

"You did go to school, right...?"

"Course I did, what d'you think I am, an urchin?" Cassie only laughed quietly, "I went every Sunday, nice and proper."

"Once a week?" Cassie still was surprised.

"We had to do sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second." She whispered with a giddy excitement.

"Who doesn't!" Cassie smiled along with her in friendship.

"Don't tell anyone," Gwyneth leaned in more, "But one week, I didn't go, I ran away down the Heath, all on my own." _Twenty-First century or the Seventeenth. Kids will be kids._

"I never did any of that. Always wanted to though. My friend, Lindsey, always tried to convince me to. Go and look all the boys around the mall."

"Well I don't know much about that, miss," Gwyneth answered, casting her eyes down in embarrassment.

"Really? Never looked at anyone? At all?" A coy smile playing on Cassie's lips.

"I suppose...There is one lad," Gwyneth admitted, "The butcher's boy, comes every Tuesday afternoon. Such a nice smile on him." Gwyneth sighed in happiness.

"Sounds nice," Cassie smiled as she thought of Mickey and Rose. She always loved how they could be so cute together, but sometimes it got to the point where she was practically puking up rainbows. She would love to experience a fraction of the relationship they had together. But, she doubted it would happen since she started traveling around the universe. You couldn't really start a relationship when you would mostly likely leave without a second thought about the other person. While she loved Rose, in and out of the telly, Cassie always hated how Rose had been to quick to leave Mickey to zoom around time with the Doctor. Leaving him to carry on and then just expect him to drop everything when she showed up out of the blue.

"I never asked. Have you got anyone?" Cassie blinked a couple of times before she registered the words Gwyneth had asked her.

"Um, no. There's no one," She lightly rubbed a dish dry as an image of green eyes and dark hair flashed through her mind. From the dream and reality.

"Well, how about that bloke your with?"

"What! Oh, no. Defiantly not. I only just met him. But, back to your love life. Have you asked him out. A cup of tea maybe?"

Gwyneth gave her a calculated look, as if she was trying to understand her, "I swear, miss, it's the strangest thing. You've got all the clothes and breeding. But you talk like some sort of wild thing." Cassie liked being described as that. She was always known as the 'follow the rules' type back home. In both worlds.

"I like the sound of that. Maybe you should consider it. There's more in this world then serving Mr. Sneed." The maid gave her a stern look.

"Now that's not fair, he's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind, taking me in, cos I lost mam and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

"I'm sorry," Cassie put a hand on the other girls shoulder, "I recently lost my family to."

Gwyneth gave a her a teary smile, "I'm sorry for you to. But, you'll see them again, we both will. Sitting with them in Paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your mam, dad, and sister's waiting up there too, miss."

"Wouldn't be to sure," then Cassie realized something, "Wait, I know you could assume my parents, but how do you know I just had a sister?" Gwyneth's eyes widened in sudden panic.

"Dunno, must've been the Doctor."

"But I haven't told him anything about back then."

"Back in the other world." Cassie jerked back in surprise.

"How do you know about that?" Gwyneth only scrubbed harder at the plate she had in her hand.

"Mr. Sneed says I think to much, I'm all alone down here," indicating the kitchen, "Bet you've got a dozen servants, haven't you?" Cassie narrowed her eyes at the subject change.

"Don't change the subject. How do you know about where I come from?"

"And you've come such a long way." Cassie moved back as Gwyneth moved closer to her.

"What makes you say that?" Gwyneth's eyes were boring into Cassie, holding her gaze.

"I just do. You're from...London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that, all those people rushing about...half-naked, for shame. So much noise! Those metal boxes, racing past...and those birds in the sky, also metal with people inside! No! But your from even further than that. I've heard of America. And of Paris, but never both in the same place. You've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. In person and in moving pictures. The darkness. The big bad wolf-" Gwyneth quickly backed up, stuttering over the words in fear, "Oh I'm sorry miss. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Cassie tried to comfort the scared girl, it wasn't her fault she had seen all the creatures and darkness from the Doctor's past.

"Can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, mam said I'd got the sight. She told me to hide it."

"But it's getting stronger. More powerful. Is that right?" Cassie turned and saw the Doctor standing in the door. Pulsing with the essence of the Oncoming Storm. Cassie just rolled her eyes and brought the terrified girl closer to her.

"All the time, sir," she said from Cassie's arms, "Every night, now, voices in my head."

"You've grown up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." Cassie pulled Gwyneth closer as the Doctor explained.

"I tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists and table-rappers and all sorts."

"Well that should help. You can show us what to do." Cassie didn't like where this was going.

"What to do where, sir?"

"Where having a seance, Gwyneth." Cassie whispered in her ear.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was sitting in-between Gwyneth and the Doctor since she refused to sit next to the man who groped her. She gave Gwyneth a comforting hand-squeeze who was looking as pale as a sheet. She smiled back in thanks.

"I've seen it done, sir, this is how Madame Mortlock summons those from the land of mists, down in Butetown. Come. We must all join hands..." There was an awkward pause as Cassie reached for the Doctor's hand, he pulled back for a second until he let her clasp it.

"I can't partake in this." Dickens stood up from the table in a huff.

"Humbug?" The Doctor offered, "Come on. Open mind." _You couldn't open that mind with a thousand pounds of dynamite._

"But this is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Seance! Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze-box concealed between the knees. The girl knows nothing!"

"Oh, just shut up!" Cassie called out to the surprise of the men in the room. The Doctor just gave her a look before turning to Dickens.

"Now don't antagonise her. I love a happy medium." A smile appeared on his face as he made a joke almost below the level of Cassandra's cheap shots to her husbands.

"You did not just say that."

"Come on. We might need you." The Doctor completely ignored Cassie's comment as Dickens reluctantly took Gwyneth and Sneed's hands, "Good man. Gwyneth. Reach out."

Gwyneth took a deep before continuing, "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden..."

"Voices..." Cassie whispered as a subtle chattered was brought to her ears.

"Nothing can happen, it's sheer folly..." Dickens refuted once again.

"Yeah? Well, tell that to her," Cassie said as Gwyneth tilted her head back in awe.

"I see them! I feel them!" Blue gas started pouring out of all the gas lamps in the room. It swirled around Gwyneth's head, whispering words that rose and fell but were indistinguishable.

"What are they saying?"

"It can't get through the rift-" The Doctor answered Cassie. Urgency evident in his voice, "Gwyneth. It's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep. Allow them through."

"I can't-"

"Doctor, maybe she shouldn't," Cassie said in an attempt to stop things before they got out of hand.

"Of course she should. She just needs to believe. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

"Yes-!" Gwyneth exclaimed as the gas became more corporeal and a wind sped through the room. Three figures formed behind Gwyneth, their hair and clothes streaming out behind them. They looked ethereal in a way. Like blue goddesses in the mortal world. The rest of the gas continued to circle them. Encompassing them in blue.

"Great God!" Sneed said in awe and fear, "Spirits! From the other side!"

"The other side of the universe." The Doctor spoke with an odd determination. The central figure opened its mouth and began to speak in a ghostly wail.

"_Pity us! Pity the Gelth! There is so little time. Help us!"_

"What do want us to do?" The Doctor's mind was racing. This was the first species he'd encountered after the war that needed his help. He would do anyone to make up for what he had just done to his own people.

"_The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."_

"What for?"

"_We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction!"_

"Why, what happened?"

"_Once we had a physical form. Like you. But then the War came."_

"What war?" The Doctor's stomach dropped a little as he prayed for it not to be-

"_The Time War."_

Cassie squeezed the Doctor's hand without fear of suspicion. He had told her about it as they had shared a plate of chips.

"_The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged, invisible to smaller species. But devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state." Of Course._ The Doctor thought. It would be all his fault. Not only had he destroyed his own people, the war they had fought had brought death and destruction to other beings who were caught in the cross fire. Now, his more determined than anything to help these creatures.

"So that's why you need the corpses."

"_We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need physical form and your dead are abandoned, they go to waste. Give them to us." _Cassie didn't like the demanding nature the creature took on. The human race didn't waste the dead. They respected them. For all the experiences they had and the wisdom they gathered. Just because they didn't burn them for fuel didn't mean they didn't have a purpose.

"We can't do that."

"Why not?" the Doctor counted, a fire in his eyes at the descent from his companion.

"It's not..." Before she could continue he cut across her in a rage.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." Before Cassie could argue further, Gwyneth let out a groan as the voices faded.

"_Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us... Pity the Gelth!"_ The last line almost seemed like an after thought. Something just thrown in to distract them from something.

A wail sped through the room and the Gelth dissipated; the air stilled as the blue gas was sucked back into the fixtures. Cassie only managed to get a hold of Gwyneth before she slumped to the table. The silents was broken by Dickens.

"All true. It's all true." _Now he believes._

_**CLDW**_

Cassie pressed a cold rag to Gwyneth's forehead as she laid down on the chaise. She still looked as pale as a ghost, but had a little flush to her cheeks. She was still knocked-out, until her eyes fluttered open.

"It's okay," Cassie assured her before she could get up, "You just rest, hm?"

"But my angels, miss! They came, didn't they? They need me-" She looked wildly around as Cassie just pressed her back onto the cushions.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're their only chance of survival-" Cassie put herself in front of Gwyneth in protection before the Doctor could finish.

"You're not using her. She needs care and rest and she certainly has nothing to do with this!" She turned back to Gwyneth, offering her a sip from the china cup, "Try this. It's the same thing you gave me. It's not bad." As Gwyneth did indeed enjoy the mocha, Cassie kept her ears trained on the conversation between the men.

"But what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again, what are they?" Sneed questioned.

"Aliens."

"Like, foreigners, you mean?" _Little farther than that, Sneed-y_

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." The Doctor pointed upward

"Brecon?" _Oh, yeah. Just outside the city. Course._

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from... Brecon to Cardiff," the Doctor just rolled with the 17th century mans thinking. Bettering the understanding of the situation, "But the road is blocked, only one or two can slip through. Even then, they're weak, they can only test-drive," Cassie wrinkled her nose in distaste when the Doctor described the bodies like a minivan, "the bodies for so long. They have to revert to gas, and hide in the pipes."

"And that's why they need the girl?" Dickens reasoned and pointed at Gwyenth.

"They won't get her," Cassie said for the tenth time that night. The conversation once again opened to include Cassie and Gwyneth.

"But she can help. Living on the rift has made her part of it. Gwyneth can open up the rift, make a bridge, and let them through." The Doctor tried to reason with her.

"Just because she can doesn't mean she should."

"Incredible," Dickens says before the Doctor could answer back, "Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world. Only able to exist in our realm by inhabiting cadavers."

"It could work. Good system." The Doctor smiled.

"You can't let them walk around inside dead people." Cassie huffed in annoyance.

"Why not? It's just like recycling."

"It's nothing like recycling. These people were once living. They had families, jobs, friends. They had a life. They deserve to be respected. For all the bonds they made in their lives, all the wisdom they learned. Ever heard of respecting your elders and the dead? My mom taught me to always remember that one day it'll be us there. Treat them the way you would have others treat you."

"Do you carry a donor card?" Cassie's temper flared more as the Doctor used situations that were completely different from this.

"How would you feel if it were you?" The Doctor just scoffed at her attempt, "Or your mom?" The Doctor stopped dead, "Would you want to see her walking around after she died. Knowing it's not her there anymore. That it's some alien that's practically feeding on her-"

"Stop." The Doctor's voice was low and firm, "It's different traveling with me. Get used to it or go home." Cassie closed her mouth, scared of the full affect of a Time Lords anger washed over her.

"Not easy, is it, my dear?" Dickens commented. For one thing to talk more which he loved to do, but to also take attention away from the girl who seemed to be almost skewered by the man's stare, "This new world. Oh, I was so sure of myself. The great Dickens! Everyday, checking the papers for my name. Such vanity. When I'm nothing but an old fool."

"At least you're learning," the Doctor said as he brought his composure back.

"Learning what? That I'm a spent force? That this addle-headed scribbler is no longer use nor ornament? I didn't need you to tell me that, Doctor." Cassie almost felt bad for Dickens. It seemed as if he was discovering something about himself that he didn't like very much. Cassie saw the Doctor turn back to her and squared her shoulders. She would be ready if he yelled at her.

"You heard what they said." The Doctor said, more reasonable, "Time is short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last few Gelth could be dying."

Cassie deflated a little, but still held to her morals. Her memory was weakening the more time she didn't re-watch the show and she couldn't remember some aspects of the seventh series, let alone in the first one. But every time she thought about what would happen if Gwyneth helped the aliens, a hard pit formed in her stomach, "I just want Gwyneth safe."

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth spoke up from the chaise, having not made a sound before.

"Well yes but..." Cassie paused as she thought, "You're right. This is your choice. I just wanted to help in some way. Stupid, I guess." She sat down next to the girl, feeling ashamed of herself for treating this young woman like a child. She was startled to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh no, miss. I see it. In your head. You only just wanted to protect me. If anyone's stupid it's me."

"No, don't say that-" Cassie tried to protest. And she really did think Gwyneth was brilliant. Maybe not in science and math. But in what really matters. Family, heart. Gwyneth was a genius.

"S'true though. A simple child, that's what I am compared to you and especially him," a thumb cocked at the Doctor, "Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind. And the angles need me. Doctor?" She said turning back to him, still holding Cassie's hand, "What do I have to do?"

"You don't have to do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my mam on a holy mission, so tell me." The Doctor pursed his lips together in thought before answering.

"We need to find the rift. This house is a weak spot, so there must be one spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed," He turned quickly to the undertaker, "What's the worst part of this house? The place where the most ghosts have been seen?"

He hesitated for moment before he answered, "That would be...The morgue."

"Right. Lovely." Cassie laughed out with strain.

_**CLDW**_

The morgue was dark, damp, and smelled profusely of decaying flesh. Not that that was any surprise. Cassie could see several bodies laid out on wooden trolleys. The space almost reminded Cassie of a mausoleum. With the wrought iron gate on one side and an architectural arch on the other. The door creaked from disuse as it was pushed open by the Doctor.

"Talk about bleak house," he muttered as he stepped forward cautiously.

"We really need to get you a better joke book," Cassie sighed and heard a satisfying snort come from the Doctor before he sobered.

"Doctor..." Dickens said, "I think the room is getting colder." Whispering began filling the room. Rising and peaking then rising even more. Gas light filled the room taking the form of one of the figures.

"_You have come to help! Praise the Doctor! Praise him..." _Cassie scoffed under her breath. _Way to play on his ego._

"And nothing will happen to her?" Cassie tried to reassure herself through asking the figure, but the knot kept tightening more and more.

"_Hurry!" _the creature cried. Completely ignoring the question Cassie put to them, _"Please! So little time. Pity the Gelth!"_ There was that statement thrown in. It was making Cassie even more and more suspicious.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer," Cassie jerked with the Doctor's statement. It seemed like the Doctor was trying to make up for the way he treated her feelings earlier, "Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels! I can help them live." Gwyneth was shining with anticipation, but with a pale under glow.

"Okay, where's the weak point?"

"_Here! Beneath the arch!"_

"Beneath the arch..." Gwyneth muttered as she stepped into the arch. She breathed in sharply and stiffened almost to a statue.

"I believe in you," Cassie said. Even if she disagreed with what she decided, it was her decision to be made.

"My angels!" A bright light suddenly filled the room, emanating from behind Gwyneth. Cassie staggered backward in surprise followed by the Doctor, Dickens, and Sneed.

"_Establish the bridge! Reach out to the void. Let us through!"_

"Yes!" Gwyneth called in awe, "I can see you. I can see you! Come!"

"_Bridgehead establishing..."_

"Come to me. Come to this world. Poor lost souls..." The whispering grew louder. It began to hurt Cassie's ears. She covered with them with her hands, if only to dull the noise slightly.

"_It has begun! The bridge is made. She has given herself to the Gelth!" _The blue smoke filled the room, coming from Gwyneth's mouth. Their movements reminded Cassie of the way fish moved around the tank. Her eyes darted from one to the next. She was always expecting them to stop coming. But they never did. More and more just pouring out, almost taking the whole room.

"That doesn't seem like a few," Cassie observed at the same time as Dickens. The words left Cassie's lips and the Gelth changed. The angelic faces were replaced by that of a demons. The soft blue undermined by a fiery red. The smile on the figures face turned into a mocking laugh.

"_The bridge is open. We descend! The Gelth will come through in force."_

"You said you were few in number!" Dickens called out as a Gelth brushed by him.

"_A few billion! And all of us in need of corpses!" _The Doctor just stared in shock. Stuck in the fact that the species had betrayed him. Sneed stepped forward brave in his actions (no matter how foolish they were).

"Now Gwyneth, stop this, there's a good girl. Listen to your master! This has gone far enough, now stop dabbling, child. And leave these things alone, I beg of you." Cassie called out as the Gelth dived into the corpses in the room and they immediately sat up. Her call came to late as one of the corpses began to strangle Sneed. Cassie tried to go help him (even if he had felt her up and made her have disturbing flashbacks, she didn't want him to die), but was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

"Don't go near-" Cassie saw something strange in the Doctor's eyes. She couldn't place the emotion in them, but the thought was driven from her mind as Sneed was killed and stood up again, this time one of them.

"_I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us." _Dickens made a noise of disbelief, but it went unnoticed by the two other people and the corpses in the room, _"We need bodies. All of you, dead. The human race, dead, fit only to become our vessels. The Gelth shall march in victory!"_

"Gwyneth! Stop them! Send them back!" The Doctor called as more and more dead bodies were taken over. Gywneth's mouth did open, but the voice that emanated from it was the Gelths.

"_Three more bodies! Convert them! Make them vessels fro the Gelth!"_

Dickens made it to the door before the advancing bodies cut the exit off. Leaving Cassie and the Doctor stranded, "I'm sorry, Doctor! But I can't!" Cassie was appalled by what she was hearing. He was going to leave them there because he couldn't take the truth. He would rather let them die then see light. There was one thing for certain after that sentence. If they survived this, Cassie would never pick up 'A Tale of Two Cities' or 'A Christmas Carol' again, "I'm too old, your new world is too much for me – I'm sorry -" And he disappeared out the door. Some Gelth went after him but the main focus was on the two people who stayed. Cassie stared in shock after Dickens and barely registered the Doctor calling out and dragging her in through the bared gate behind them. He shut the door and braced them against the opposite wall as Gelth corpses reached for them through the bars.

"_Give yourself to glory! Sacrifice your lives to the Gelth" _Sneed said again as he swiped at them through the bars.

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor called back in anger at them and himself. Because of his need for forgiveness another world would end in destruction.

"_We don't want your pity," _Sneed scoffed as he reached again, _"We want this world and all its flesh."_

"Not while I'm alive," The Doctor said as he put an arm in front of Cassie. If there was one thing he could save, it would be the life of this human who seemed to know more about these aliens then he did.

"_Then live no more!"_

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Cassie asked as the Doctor's arm crushed further into her stomach.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor had a resigned quality to his voice. Along with a sadness that could shake anyone to there core.

"It's 1869 and I'm gonna die. I was born in the 90's and I'm gonna die in the 1860's." She was babbling again. She seemed to do that often in times of crisis.

"All because of me. I brought you here." His head was falling slightly in defeat. Eyes closing in despair. Cassie was having none of that. She grabbed his chin and held in up to her gaze.

"Now none of that. This is not your fault. I wanted to come. It was my choice. It doesn't matter how irresistible you made the offer. I still could have said no. But I didn't. This is all on me. Have you got that?" He nodded his head as his eyes remained filled with pain. She released her grip and they once again stared at the corpses through the bares.

"And what about me?" He broke the silence of animal grunts with words to comfort her, "I saw the fall of Troy. World War Five. I was pushing boxes at the Boston Tea Party."

"Show off." Cassie muttered loud enough for the Doctor hear and bring a smile to his lips for a minute. Until it faded as he continued.

"Now I'm gonna die in a cellar, in Cardiff!" Cassie took his hand as the corpses reached further in.

"Go down fighting. Yeah?"

"You bet." He squeezed her hand, "I'm glad I met you."

"Me too." They smiled at each other...until Dickens rushed back into the room.

"Doctor! The gas! Turn on the gas! All of it, now!" The Doctor whipped his head around to stare at Dickens as he turned to knob of another lamp, putting it on full.

"What are you doing?"

"I might be an old fool but I understand basic science, sir! Turn on quickly, turn on the gas! Flood the place!" The Doctor's face brightened to understanding as he joined him in turning on the gas lamps in the space they were enclosed in.

"Brilliant! Gas!" Cassie followed suit and turned a nob on another, not even matching Dickens pace as he ran from one to the next.

"Am I correct, Doctor?" He asked for approval, "They're gaseous creatures-"

"Fill the air with gas - it draws them out of the host, sucks them into the air, like poison from a wound-" The Doctor finished as he turned another knob.

"I hope – Oh lor-!" The old woman and her grandson came into the morgue as three other bodies came at Dickens, trapping him against the wall. The Doctor and Cassie were to busy continuing the plan to help, "I rather hope this theory will be validated soon. If not immediately." The Doctor pulled a gas line off the wall, ripping it open. The room that smelled terrible to begin with began to choke them. Cassie put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to soften the exposure.

"Plenty more-" The corpses that were coming at Dickens suddenly stumbled and let out a wail as they were ejected from the bodies.

"It's working!" Dickens exclaimed as he extracted himself from the circle of bodies. All the dead bodies crowding the barred door gave the same wail as Dickens bodies and fell to the floor as their smoke rose. Cassie and the Doctor opened the door and hurried over to were Gwyneth had remained the entire time.

"Gwyneth! Send them back! They lied, they're not angles!" The Doctor was desperate to get through to her. Fighting the blue smoke that encased her face. The masks lifted as Gwyneth answered in her own voice.

"...Liars...?"

"Look at them! If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you strength. Now send them back!" Cassie coughed slightly, hiding the fact that the room had barely breathable in it. But of course the Doctor noticed, "Charles, get her out."

"I'm not leaving you or her," Cassie struggled to make the words come out with no real breath.

"They're too strong..." Gwyneth said, pulling the focus away from Cassie.

"Remember that world you saw? Cassie's world? All those people. None of it will exist, if you don't send them back through the rift!"

"Can't...send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in place. Hold them here..." Her hands moved to her apron pocket and extracted a box of matches. Her eyes staring straight ahead without any light in them, "Get out."

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Cassie called reaching out to grab Gwyneth's hand. But the Doctor literally smacked it back.

"Cassie, get out, go now." Cassie made to protest but was cut across by him, "I won't leave her while she's still in danger, okay? Now go!" Cassie stayed still till the Doctor shoved her into Dickens grasp and her pulled her to the door. Cassie fought against him and manged to get out of his grasp in the hallway. She quickly ran back down to the cellar in time to see the Doctor with his hand pressed against Gwyneth's neck, checking her pulse. A sad frown came to his lips, "I'm sorry." He bent down and kissed her forehead, "Thank you." He ran right for the door and almost right in to Cassie. She could see a lecture coming on about being insufferable and irresponsible, but she merely held up her finger to him and went over to Gwyneth.

She smiled softly at the servant girl and kissed her lightly on the cheek, "You'll see your parents soon," she whispered in her ear. Cassie turned back towards the Doctor who had an odd expression his face. She only smiled a watery smile; took his hand and hiked up her skirts, "Shall we?" He smiled back and took off with her right beside him.

_**CLDW**_

The explosion was still active behind them. Fires burning in odd places. The smell of gas seeping everywhere. Heat whooshing out from the charred remains of the house. The Doctor helped Cassie up from the snow pile they had been thrown into. Dickens ran up to them from his spot that he took cover in. He had a relieved smile on is face that faltered slightly when he counted only two of them.

"She didn't make it. She closed the rift." Cassie whispered in answer to Dickens silent question. The Doctor put an arm on her shoulder. It was awkward and stiff but it held more comfort than anything else.

"At such a cost. The poor child." Dickens said solemnly, almost like a prayer.

"I did try, Cassie...you saw that. She was already dead. I examined her. Gwyneth had been dead for at least five minutes." The Doctor beseeched Cassie, fearing that after all he lost ed tonight, he would lose her to.

"I know. I saw you. I knew she was dead." Cassie wasn't aware of what she was saying.

"I think she was dead from the moment she stood in the arch." The Doctor said pulling the broken looking girl closer a little.

"But she talked, and helped, and saved us. How could she?" Her eyes were trained on the snow drifts being blown around by the small gusts of wind.

"'There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' Even for you, Doctor." Dickens quoted. It seemed that the way they were speaking, it was like a funeral for Gwyneth.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. And only us three will know." Cassie stared into the flames still crackling around the broken wood of the house. Feeling the warmth of the tongues of fire wash over her. Wanting nothing more to have her mother's or Jackie's arms around her.

_**CLDW**_

They had reached the TARDIS and were standing outside the double blue doors saying good-bye to Dickens.

"If you don't mind, Charlie boy, I've just got to pop into my, um...shed. Won't be long." Before he could hassle Cassie inside, she turned to Dickens.

"What are gonna do now?"

"I shall take the mail-coach back to London, quite literally post-haste; it's the wrong time of year to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family, and try to make amends. After all I've seen tonight, there's nothing more vital." _Just like 'A Christmas Carol'._

"You've cheered up." The Doctor noted with a grin on his face.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've barely started. And what an appetite I have, Doctor! All these huge, wonderful notions! I am inspired. I must write about them!"

"Are you sure about that?" Cassie questioned while the Doctor only gave him an indulgent smile.

"Oh, I shall be subtle, at first. 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle, perhaps he was not of this earth! 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals'! I can spread the word, and tell the truth!

"Good luck with it," The Doctor said, giving him a handshake, "Nice to meet you, fantastic!" Cassie stepped up and silently kissed his cheek. A blush creeped over Dickens' face as Cassie just stepped back and laughed.

"Oh my dear! How modern. Thank you. But I don't understand, in what way is this good-bye, where are you going?"

"Into the she. You'll see," The Doctor said it as if it were obvious.

"'Pon my soul, it's one riddle after another with you. But Doctor – in amongst all the revelations, there's one mystery you haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?" Dickens asked the age old question that would never be answered truthfully.

"Just a friend. Passing through."

"You seem to know so much of future times." Dickens observed, "And I won't intrude, but I have to wonder...My books, Doctor. Do they last?" A look of dread was on his face but mixed in with flecks of hope.

"Oh yes."

"For how long?" Dickens countered eagerly.

"Forever." Dickens just smiled, "Right then. Shed. Come on, Cassie."

"Both of you, inside that box?" He asked skeptically but with a playful light in his eye.

"Get you mind out of the gutter." Cassie laughed as she went through the doors and up to the console. The Doctor right behind her.

"And you're okay with him writing about the 'Blue Elementals', are you?" Cassie eyes trained on the Doctor.

"In a week's time, it's 1870. And that's the year he dies." a little gasp escaped Cassie lips and the Doctor back peddled to fix his unfeeling error, "Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story."

"At least he got to live it." Cassie said as she watched Dickens through the video feed, still staring curiously at the TARDIS. Unnoticed went the look the Doctor gave her after her statement. A look of pride and adoration.

"But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been. Old Charlie Boy." A smile pulled at his lips, "Let's give him one last surprise..." He reached for a lever.

"Can I do it?" Cassie asked with hope in her eyes. The Doctor gave her a mischievous smirk and guided her hand to the lever and watched as she gently pushed it down. They laughed together as they caught sight of Dickens face before the fully entered the vortex.

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been forever since I last updated but it wasn't my fault. First, I had to live through Hurricane Sandy (got the whole week off from school!). Then, my teachers made up for the week lost by having a test almost every single day (who else hates physics out there?) on top of the fact that it was the end of the first quarter (straight A's and one B+). Then, after that hectic week, the whole play drama started and I needed to practice for my audition. Finally, its Thanksgiving break so I finally finished the chapter. Now, on to stuff about the story, cause who cares about my life.**

**Some of you have been saying they want to see different plot points and things in the story because it's a completely different character in there. I will be changing some of the things in the story, but not everything. I kept close to the story in the first few chapters because I was nervous about how people would react to the differences. But a change in the story will be coming. I promise. **

**By the way, you guys may want to check out my second chapter again. I slightly changed my opening dream sequence. I originally had it as the three faces of the Doctor and Rory. But then I thought about it a little more and decided to change a little fact. It's not major and doesn't affect the chapter itself. But it will affect the story later on. The change also affects subtle aspects in this chapter to. Brownie points for anyone who can guess.**

**I want to thank all the people who favorited and followed the story. It means a lot to me when I get an alert on my phone telling me someone liked it. I'd also like to thank my reviewers (I'm up to 14 already!) You're the ones who inspire me to write quicker. So the more reviews there are the quicker the chapters come (I feel like I said this last chapter to, but whatever). **

**Remember the three R's: Review, Review, Review! See Ya!**


	5. Chapter 5: Settling In

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

Cassie walked quietly into one of the many rooms of the TARDIS. The Doctor hadn't told her to find a room yet, but this room just felt like it was meant for her. What had a originally drawn her to the room was the Taylor Lautner poster on the door. Not many rooms of the TARDIS had teen heart throbs from the 21st century gracing their entrances. Taylor aside, the room was just perfect for her.

The walls were a royal blue (darker than the TARDIS) color. It reminded Cassie of what the night sky could look like in paintings. The glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling also helped with the effect. One of the four walls of the room was a massive bookshelf spanning the entire space. It was tightly packed with books the TARDIS had retrieved from the library. Some of them Cassie recognized as favorites from home: **Gone with the Wind**,** The Catcher in the Rye**,** Pride and Prejudice**, and yes **The Twilight Saga**. Others were books she'd been interested in, but hadn't gotten around to reading them or one's she'd never heard of. She guessed the TARDIS was now her reading consultant.

There was a desk in the room, white like the door had been. It was standard size, taking up only a fourth of the wall space. Sitting on top of the desk was a laptop. It looked like it could be from her time, but some of the metals it was constructed with seemed unearthly. _Probably late 21__st__ century,_ she thought. There was a cord running from the back of the laptop and connecting to a printer next to it. Perfect for writing and printing stories. Cassie smiled as she saw a filing cabinet next to the desk that she assumed the TARDIS put there to store stories in (but not a single story was going in there unless it was perfect, which never happened).

The TARDIS seemed to have a pretty good feel of Cassie's mind and hobbies because on the other side of the desk was one of those old-fashioned jukeboxes from the '50's. Cassie had always wanted one as child. CD's and then downloads just seemed to impersonal. Give her vinyl any day. As she flipped through the song choices, she noticed that instead of the expected '50's and '60's music, there were current songs (songs that could be found on her Ipod). And to her delight, some songs that hadn't even been released (or thought of) in her time. Cassie had a distinct feeling that the TARDIS didn't want this little fact being disclosed to the Doctor. Even with her awesome jukebox, Cassie still held her Ipod Classic in her hand. Unlike the jukebox, it was portable.

The white carpet (which wouldn't stay white for long) padded under Cassie's feet as she went to examine the door on the wall opposite the exit. It led to a very nice and very chic bathroom. The bathtub could be used as a small hot tub with sixteen jets spaced out along its side. There was a shower next it, with four shower heads on either side of the space to be adjusted to the perfect height and setting. The closet next to the door looked small, but when opened (as was per-usual the norm when it came to Time Lord architecture) it was bigger on the inside, abundant with fluffy towels and silky bathrobes. The sink was opposite the huge bathtub and had four faucets on it. Two were for hot and cold, a third for soap, and the fourth one for toothpaste. The tiled walls and floors were made of a demure, silvery-grey granite. It was about a thousand times better then the cramped and crammed full bathroom of the Tyler's apartment. The TARDIS had out done herself.

Cassie re-entered the blue room and made her way over to the jukebox and began to flip through the song selection. She was really tempted to listen to the future songs, but Cassie was already pushing her luck with being in a room that the Doctor didn't officially give her. Some people might have been worried that this was a previous companions room, but Cassie could just feel that it was new.

She finally found a song that was current from her time and wasn't played as the one of the three songs the radio stations went through. She pressed the button and watched in fascination as the box scrolled through the records; selected the correct one and put it down with the needle.

Taylor Swift's 'Long Live' filled the room as Cassie went to go lay down on the starry comforter on the bed. She flopped down and almost immediately wanted to sink into it. A feather bed! Heaven! Cassie snuggled closer into the covers and let the first verse of Long Live wash over her

_**I still remember this moment **_

_**In the back of my mind**_

_**The time we stood with our shaking hands**_

_**The crowds in stands went wild**_

_**We were the kings and the queens**_

_**And they read off our names**_

_**The night you danced like you knew out lives**_

_**Would never be that same**_

_**You held your head like a hero**_

_**On a history book page **_

_**It was the end of a decade**_

_**But the start of an age**_

"Listening to a song about me?" The chorus of the song was pushed to her sub-conscious as another voices interrupted Cassie's relax mode. She shot up out of the tiny dent she mad in the soft bed and saw the Doctor leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his lips. She rolled her eyes.

"As if. I doubt you even know who this is." She followed him with her eyes as he strode into the room and began flipping through the songs of the jukebox.

"Au contraire. Me and Taylor are very good friends. Who do you think was the first to tell her it wouldn't work out with John Meyer?" He pressed the button a few more times to flip the pages.

"What?!"

"Now, if you want real music... Try this." He ignored my question and hit the play button, cutting off Taylor Swift during the bridge and the speakers began playing a tune that was heavy on the guitar and drums. As the intro ended, Cassie recognized Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer'.

"So, we're going old school then?" She laughed as he sat down on the desk chair.

"Oi! This is classic 1980's. That was like THE year of music."

"The 80's. And what year am I from?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"2005."

"And how many years is that?" He paused for a moment in thought before answering.

"25?"

"And you don't call that a difference in time?" Cassie readjusted herself on the bed to lie on her stomach.

"What are you doing in this room anyway?" He changed the subject abruptly, not wanting to argue further on the point.

"I was just wandering around the corridors and I just wanted to explore some rooms. By the way, did you know you have a ball-pit room?" She was very vague in her response to his question, not wanting to be caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. And he was the Doctor, so she couldn't get in trouble for exploring.

"But why specifically THIS room?" He avoided her subject change smoothly, "There are thousands of rooms in the TARDIS. Maybe even millions. Why this one?"

"I don't know." She began fiddling with the zipper of her coat, "First it was that great big poster on the door. Thank you TARDIS. Then... It just felt right. Like it was meant for me." The Doctor smiled slightly, he knew that this room was made for her, he just wanted to hear her idea of why choose this room. She seemed very connected with his machine. Sure, a lot of his companions had felt the machine subtly in their minds. Giving them the power to speak and understand other languages and slight warnings of danger. But, Cassie even said that the machine talked to her, helping her find the way to the wardrobe. The TARDIS didn't even do that for him when she was cross with him. Which happened more and more these days as he had taken to making her fly by ways of a mallet.

"How d'ya feel about keeping it?" He said without thinking much about it. If she was traveling with him, she would need a room. He couldn't just set up a piece of newspaper in the corner of the console room. Could he? No, no he couldn't. Cause that would be bad.

"Really!?" Cassie squeaked with excitement. Sure, she knew he would have given her a room eventually. Not just a corner and some newspaper. But this was a big moment. Almost as big as getting a TARDIS key.

"Yeah. I could use some domestics around here. This room is yours." He gave her a wane smile and made to leave, but was called back by her before her even reached the door.

"Doctor!" He turned with curiosity in his eyes, "I love traveling with you. I absolutely do. The new places, the aliens, the excitement, the... running."

"But?" He prompted, not really understanding where she was going with this.

"But," she conceded, "I was wondering if the next trip we take could be home?" Her voice grew really quiet at the end as she watched his face. A look of panic blossomed in them, but was quickly replaced by sorrow and then indifference.

"If that's what you want. I'll take you home. It was nice having you aboard." He turned to leave again, when he heard laughter behind him. He turned back and saw Cassie giggling on the bed making the pillows and frame shake a little. Pain flashed in his eyes as he thought she was getting a kick out of his emotions. She finally caught her breath and brushed away tears before he could say anything.

"Oh, not like that ya dunderhead," she giggled again quietly, "I mean as just a visit. I can't live out of the wardrobe, can I?" The Doctor's face looked shocked before it broke out in a grin.

"Right then." He quickly went over to the bed and grabbed her hand, pulling her up as he walked back to the door. Actually leaving through the frame instead of being called back.

"You actually thought I could go back to a normal life after all this?" He looked back at her with a look that said 'most people do'. She just scoffed, "You're nuts! I not going anywhere."

He laughed at her enthusiasm and carted her off to the main flight deck. But there was a little shrivel of doubt whispering softly in his ear.

_They all say they'll stay until the leave._

**A/N: I bet you're wondering why this chapter wasn't 'Aliens Of London'. Truth be told, I started writing AOL. Got the script with me and everything, but then I just started writing a little in-between scene in the beginning. Then it started getting longer and longer, until I gave up and just made it an original chapter. I don't question my brain muse. I just go with it. **

**So, obviously, much shorter chapter then the other ones. But I always thought about what exactly was on the TARDIS. I mean the 9****th**** Doctor is all 'No Domestics' and the 10****th**** Doctor was just as uncomfortable with it as the 9****th**** (just a lot less vocal about it) and the 11****th**** Doctor is the first mention of rooms (I think bunk beds are awesome, too) and the first time we actually see the rest of the TARDIS. So I just wanted to do a little scene of domesticity between Cassie and the Doctor. Plus, I haven't written descriptively in like forever.**

**But now I'm on Christmas break and will hopefully be able to get a good chunk of Chapter 6 out. Also, I'm going to Florida so I have about an hour plane ride (there and back) where I can't escape my computer unless I hide in the bathroom (Ew!) or jump out of the plane with a parachute. **

**So, anyway, ignore my ramble. Read, Favorite (if you already haven't), and Review. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays, and everything in-between. **

**P.S. This might be confusing, but as the chapters go on, Cassie will be losing memories of the show. Cause, come on, if we didn't watch it constantly and it'd been, what? Two years since we watched it. We would forget to. Plus, its more interesting when she doesn't remember all of it. Peace! **


	6. Chapter 6: The Aliens of London

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

It was an ordinary day in the Powell Estate as the plastic bags blew through courtyard of an apartment building. That is, until the wind started to pick up, causing the leaves and discarded plastic to rustle and fly. A blue box began to materialize into the courtyard accompanied with a grinding sound that resonated and echoed back from the cement walls. After a few minutes, the TARDIS stood in plain sight as the wind died down and the doors creaked open.

Cassie Lee walked out and looked around curiously. She may have grown up watching Doctor Who and was completely use to the fact that the blue box could disappear and reappear in different places and times, but it was quite a different thing to actually be inside the marvelous machine.

"And I've been gone how long?" She asked over her shoulder as the Doctor exited the machine to stand next to her. She already knew the answer. Some what. She didn't know the exact time that she had been gone, but she knew it was longer than whatever the Doctor said. He was always getting the time wrong.

She sighed inwardly. It was getting harder and harder to remember the adventures that happened in the Doctor's life. They only seemed to come to light when the actual event happened. Cassie already had a plan to take a page out of River's book and, well, make a diary of what she could remember from the show. Of course she'd have to hide from the Doctor. God knew that man could be nosy and just flip through the pages out of boredom. All she had to do was go looking for a blank diary. She quickly tuned back into the conversation as the Doctor answered her question.

"'Bout twelve hours," he said as he glanced at his wrist.

"You know there's no watch there, right?" She glanced down at his bare wrist and only saw a freckle.

"Yeah, well. It looks more impressive," he defended as he absentmindedly rubbed his wrist.

"Anyway," she said with a roll of her eyes, "I have a mom, sister, and friends to visit. Now park that thing," she thumbed the TARDIS behind her, "So it doesn't drift back to the Middle Ages and don't go anywhere." She wagged her finger at him and gave him a pointed look. She started running toward the door that led to the staircase as the Doctor went over to one of the walls of the yard. Seeing a flash of a picture that he recognized.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie opened the door of Tyler flat and announced her presence to the two inhabitants.

"Hey, I'm back. Sorry I was gone so long. Amy was going through some trouble and as usual Mels and Lily were no help and the trouble was about Rory so she couldn't talk to him so I got Mickey to drive me out there and stayed there over night. Sorry I didn't call." She walked in on what seemed like a typical breakfast morning. Jackie was in the kitchen cooking (some what) in her bathrobe and Rose was sitting at the table with half a plate of breakfast left in front of her. They both had wide eyes and opened mouths. "So what's been goin' on since I've been stuck in 'Pond'-ville?"

They're eyes stayed wide, even as Rose got up from the table; went up to her and poked her in shoulder. "And that was for what?" Cassie wondered out loud. She just assumed her and the Doctor had been gone for maybe two days or maybe a week. But it wasn't like she hadn't gone to stay with Amy for a week before. When Amy went into meltdown mode, Cassie wouldn't be seen for days.

A smash was heard as the tea cup Jackie was holding fell from her hand and hit the floor. Rose and Cassie and flinched but the two blondes still kept their eyes trained on the red-head.

"It's you..." Jackie whispered as she came to stand next to Rose.

"Oh my God," Rose whispered as her hand found her mothers arm and proceeded to crush it. Jackie took no notice.

"Oh my God, it's you. Oh my God," Jackie chanted as she and Rose rushed forward and embraced Cassie. Crying and saying 'Oh my God' and 'It's you' over and over again. They were hanging on to the girl as if they hadn't seen her in months. Cassie was able to glance over their shoulders and saw what was on the other side of the kitchen table. Stacks upon stacks of 'Missing Person' flyers. They were embossed with the question: Can You Help? And a picture of Cassie.

Her mouth fell open slightly as the front door banged opened and Cassie was able to extract herself from the double hug of the Tyler's to see the Doctor standing there with a guilty smile on his face.

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve _months_. You've been gone a whole year," he laughed lightly as Rose and Jackie were still teary and grabbing at Cassie's arms, "Sorry!"

"Oh, this is just like you!" Cassie scoffed as she was once again sucked into the vortex of Tyler tears.

_**CLDW**_

"The hours I sat here-Rose sat here-days and weeks and months, with no phone call or anything-we thought you were dead, and where were you? Travelling!" Jackie had immediately called the police as soon as she had a handle on her emotions. Now moved on from the shock and grief of Cassie coming back, she was now distinctly in the anger phase. And would stay there for a while. Cassie was sitting on the couch grimacing and rolling her eyes at her adopted mother's hysteria and Rose still clinging to her. The Doctor was sitting on the arm of the sofa just smiling and being amused by the situation. The Policeman was standing in front of the sofa taking notes, "What the hell does that mean, travelling, that's no sort of answer-you ask her, she won't tell us, that's all she says, travelling-"

"I say it because that's what I was doing," Cassie spoke up quietly. Rose only tightened her grip on her arm.

"With your passport still in the drawer? Rose went and checked. It's one lie after another!" Jackie's shouting only became more and more desperate rather than angry and Rose had yet to say a word since 'Oh my God'.

"I meant to phone, trust me I did. I just...forgot."

"For a year? You forgot, for a year, and me and Rose were left sitting here? Not knowing where you were. We were thinking the worst, especially with how Rose found you a couple of years ago! I just don't believe you, why won't you tell us where you've been?" The Doctor finally stopped grinning like an idiot and stepped in to try and explain.

"Look, it's my fault, I sort of, employed Cassie as my...companion..." Cassie wanted to face-palm herself if her arms weren't currently pinned to her side by Rose's hug.

"When you say companion, is it a sexual relationship?" The policeman asked nonchalantly, going over his notes.

"No!" Cassie and the Doctor protested simultaneously. Jackie than proceeded to go up to the Doctor and face off.

"Then what is it? Cos you! You waltz in here, all charm and smiles, next thing we know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then, forty, forty-five? What, did you find her on the internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I am a Doctor-" he shot back.

"Prove it. Stich this, mate-" and she slapped him across the face.

"Mom!" Cassie wrenched herself out of Rose's hug and went to lead the Doctor out of the room.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was coming out a hug with Jackie and Rose. The blonde teenager had finally broken her silence when she asked for it. Then, they had sucked Jackie into it too.

"Did you think about us at all?" Rose asked as she still held on to Cassie's arms. Very clingy.

"I did, I swear I did. All the time, but..."

"One phone call. Just to know you were alive." Jackie cut across her adopted daughters answer.

"I'm so sorry. To both of you. I just didn't think."

"But d'you know what terrifies me? That you still can't say. What happened to you, Cassie? What can be so bad that you can't tell us? Unless..." She trailed off and gave Cassie a look that suggested...

"No! No, mom. I swear. He's a gentleman. I wanted to go with him." Cassie protected the Doctor from that particular thought. With any luck, the Doctor would never find out about her first few minutes in this world.

"Then where were you, Sweetheart?" Cassie had no answer.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie climbed the last few steps up to the roof and found the Doctor up there. Staring at the sky. She jumped up on the roof part of the stairwell and cleared her throat. The Doctor glanced quickly behind him to make sure it was her and not Rose or her adopted mother come to chew him out or worse. Slap him again.

"How'd they take it?" He addressed over his shoulder.

"Like I can tell them. How would you describe it to them? They'll never let this go," she glanced around at the surrounding world at a birds eye view. The world had always seemed just a little strange to her, not being her own world and all. But, now it seemed even more strange. After seeing all the things she'd seen, it was like looking back at a primitive, dull world but, that was familiar and comforting. "It seems so different now. Not just seeing the aliens and spaceships. A year's gone by. I mean, as you're living it it doesn't seem to change much but...it does."

The Doctor only shrugged his shoulders, "It was only middling." Cassie slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oi! You don't see me making jokes. This is serious. Mom's about ready to have you arrested and Rose is like going through some kind of mental withdrawal. Their freaking out about this!"

"If it's this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?" He hid the pit forming in his stomach from the thought of the girl leaving him alone after joining him so soon.

"I don't know," she sucked on the tip of her thumb in thought. She wouldn't have hesitated with her answer if it was any other time. But this was her family, the people who had taken her in when she knew no one in the world, "I don't know if I could do that to them again."

"Well your sister is welcome to come, but I'm not becoming a minivan and taking your mother with us." Cassie began to giggle and it only got louder and louder till it was an all out gaffaw.

"The TARDIS as a minivan! Never!"

"I just don't do families."

"I can't believe she slapped you!" Her giggling only grew more persistent as she jumped from one hysterical topic to another.

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother!"

"Well get use to it. I loved your face!"

"Well it hurt, and what about your face!" He defended himself, "You looked like you were about to explode!"

"More like explode from laughter! That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen!" She nearly fell off her perch as she held on to her stomach and laughed. She was brought out of her breath taking giggles when the the Doctor spoke up.

"Me being nine hundred years old, that doesn't bother you?" He was suspicious again. She just didn't react the way other humans would. The TARDIS moving, the inside of the TARDIS, his age. Other humans might be hyper-ventilating right now.

"Well, I-uh. I just assumed it was another thing about being an alien." She covered, rather badly. She was getting, more and more careless about what she said in front of him the longer she stayed with him. She knew he was getting suspicious of her, but she couldn't tell him. It could rip the universe apart, or so she thought. She didn't really understand the mechanics of time and space. Yet. But she thought better safe than sorry.

"Cassie?" The Doctor began, as if he was about to give a speech.

"Yeah," she said examining her terrible cuticles in an effort to avoid his eyes.

"I can't help noticing. Sometimes, you just seem to know things." He tried to gain eye contact with her but she refused to look at him. Another reason to have this conversation, "And you don't seemed surprised by things that you should be. And sometimes, the way you speak...It's like you know all that's gonna happen, but that you're surprised that you're saying it. I just have to ask about this. I know you're not Jackie's biological daughter. That first time I came here I pocketed your final adoption papers. You came to them about two years ago. Now the question is...where did you come from that you seem to know so much about my life?"

Cassie remained quiet while he talked, wincing as he pieced together fact after fact. Almost completing the puzzle. But the thing about puzzles, sometimes it takes forever to find the last piece.

They were both startled out of the serious conversation when a horn blared over head. They snapped their heads up in time to see a spaceship crashing through the sky. Smoke emanating from the rear and what Cassie assumed was the exhaust pipe or close to it. They watched as it flew through sky almost hitting multiple building on its way down until luck finally ran out and it smashed into 'Big Ben', taking out the left side of the clock where as the ship just continued on its course. All they way till it buried itself into the waters of the Thames.

Cassie just stood there with her mouth hanging open. When she had heard the horn, the memories of 'The Aliens of London' began to flow through her mind. She really needed to get that diary to write down her memories.

"That is fantastic." Cassie exclaimed before heading toward the stairs to get down to the ground. The Doctor sighed and watched as the girl opened the door and disappeared. They would _need_ to have this talk later. But he had to admit. A spaceship crashing into 'Big Ben', then into the Thames. That was, what was the word Cassie had used? Fantastic! He smiled and took off after her.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor quickly over came Cassie when they exited the apartment complex and ran into the bumper to bumper traffic that was filling the street. He tried to push his way through the crowd of people that were getting out of their cars, but saw a road block not far up the road.

"It's blocked off!" he called with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"We're miles from where it crashed, the cities gridlocked. All of London is closing down-"

"I know! I can't believe I'm here to see it, this is fantastic!" He spoke with a light in his eye that portrayed his glee at the situation.

"Didn't know this was gonna happen?"

"Nope!"

"Recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Any idea why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know anything?"

"Nope!" He paused for a minute in thought and turned back to her, "Hey!"

"Haha, got ya!" She pointed her finger at him and went up on her toes to look at the street.

The Doctor just rolled his eyes and continued on with his previous thoughts, "This is what I travel for, Cassie: to see history, happening right in front of us!"

"And how are we getting to the part of 'right in front of us'? 'Cause right now the history is happening miles away."

"Can't use the TARDIS. There's already one spaceship in the middle of London, I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yes. Everyone is going to be looking for a spaceship shaped like a big blue box." She rolled her eyes but smiled none the less. She really loved the TARDIS's shape.

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all sorts of people watching. Trust me-the TARDIS stays where it is."

"Well, in light of the fact that we're stuck, how 'bout we go home and do what everyone else in the city is doing at this moment?" The Doctor gave her a questioning look, "Go watch it on TV"

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor was flipping quickly through the news channels. Even going to American stations. Rose and Jackie were going quickly around the flat making tea and cleaning up while people were coming into the room. Their first guest was an old woman.

"I've got no choice!" Jackie was complaining to the woman in the apartment, "Either I make him welcome-"

"Please don't start," Cassie whined as her mother was using more guilt on her and Rose just stayed silent as she served the tea.

"-Or I run the risk of never seeing you again!" She finished. Then the woman had to put in her two cents, of course.

"You broke your mother and sister's hearts. Your mother sobbed in my arms, she did. I cradled her like a child. And your sister was almost clinically depressed. Sitting there on the sofa like a mute."

"Oi! I'm trying to listen!" The Doctor yelled at the women as he tried to listen to the telly.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor was flipping through more channels as more and more people showed up to the flat. To add to the old woman from before, a bearded man and a goth came in along with another old couple that just about pounced on Cassie when they saw her on the sofa.

"You broke his heart, disappearing, where's my Cassie, he used to say." The old woman chastised her as the old man kept hugging her.

"You beautiful girl!" The old man cooed as he looked into Cassie's face. Meanwhile, Jackie was conveying information to the goth while Rose carried on a conversation with the bearded man.

"And I've lost weight, I told her, go missing more often, it does me good. Guess who asked me out? Billy Croot!" Jackie joked.

The Doctor just leaned into the TV more in annoyance. He'd tried to catch Cassie's eye to try and keep them quiet but she had been to busy being smothered by the new comers.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor had just had a mini-fight with a toddler over the remote when the baby had snatched it away and had unintentionally changed to channel to a cooking show where Matt Baker was showing the audience how to make a spaceship cake. The Doctor finally got the remote back and flipped it to the news and rolled his eyes at Cassie who gave him a sheepish smile.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor had finally had enough and had exited the flat that was even more full then when the children came. Cassie quickly followed him.

"And you're going where, exactly?" Cassie called as the Doctor quickly turned around in shock. His face soon morphed into one of guilt.

"Nowhere. It's just a bit...human in there," Cassie just rolled her eyes, "History just happened and they're talking about buying dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."

"A spaceship in the Thames and you're just wandering?" She asked skeptically.

"Nothing to do with me!" He insisted, "It's not an invasion, that was a genuine crash-landing. Angle of descent, colour of the smoke, everything, it was perfect."

"Perfect?" Cassie questioned.

"Yup! Maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering, cos you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the Human Race grows up. Just this morning, you were all tiny and small and made of clay, and now-you can expand! You don't need me, go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your family."

Cassie just huffed as he used his ability to do epic speeches to distract her, "I better not hear those engines going!" She knew he probably wouldn't leave her behind, but her insecurities came through more often then not.

"Tell you what. TARDIS key, about time you had one," he said as he handed her a key into her palm, "See you later."

"I better." She called after him and he gave her a salute before he turned the corner. She laughed and went back into the flat.

A few minutes later she heard a slight noise of the TARDIS engines going. Cassie sighed as she pushed the fear in her stomach down and returned to the conversation.

_**CLDW**_

A toast was ringing out as plastic cups were raised.

"Here's to the Martians!" Jackie called out as she drank from her cup.

"The Martians!" Everyone went silent as the door opened to reveal Mickey staring at Cassie with a mix of hurt and suspicion. Cassie stood up confused, she was wondering where Mickey was in all this.

"Hey, I was wondering where you'd got to. If you hadn't shown up soon I would have come looking for you." Cassie smiled but Mickey just kept giving her that look.

"Someone owes Mickey an apology." One of the old women said. Cassie could understand that she did maybe owe her friend an apology.

"I'm sorry," she moved closer to him but stopped short when he seemed to back away slightly.

"No," the woman cut in, "Not you." Cassie gave her a questioning look and she only answered by looking at Rose and Jackie pointedly. Rose was looking sorrowfully at Mickey and Jackie avoided anyone's gaze.

"Well it's not our fault," Jackie protested in defense of her and Rose, "What were we supposed to think?"

_**CLDW**_

Jackie had led them all into her bedroom so they could continue their conversation in private. Mickey was silently seething as he looked out the window. The silence seemed to get to him and then he finally turned around and began to rant.

"You disappear, who do they turn to? The last person you were with. Five times I was taken in for questioning, five time! That's three more than your actual boyfriend! The only reason Chris got flown was because he hadn't seen you in two days. But anyway, no evidence, cos there couldn't be, could there? And then I get her." He turned his finger to point at Jackie who only rolled her eyes, "Your mother, whispering all round the estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letterbox. Telling Rose she couldn't see me anymore. And she actually broke up with me! All cos of you!"

"I didn't plan to disappear for a year." Cassie tried. She felt guilty about not even calling everyone down in Leadworth. Amy, Rory, Mels, Lily, and especially Chris must be going mad with worry. She made a mental note to catch a bus down there later.

"And I _waited _for you. Twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back." Mickey's voice brought her back to the present where she was currently being yelled at by her friend/sister's ex-boyfriend. That also reminded her, she'd have to talk to Rose about fixing that little 'ex' part later.

"Hold on," Rose said from where she was sitting on Jackie's bed, "You knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell us?" She looked at Mickey with a searching look.

Mickey didn't look at Rose but instead looked at Cassie, "Yeah, why not, Cassie? How could I tell them where you went?"

"Tell us now!" Jackie butted in.

"Might as well," Mickey said, a slightly crazed look in his eye, "Cos you're stuck with us now, the Doctor's gone. I saw him, just now, that box faded away." Cassie swallowed hard but kept her face neutral. She knew the Doctor was coming back for her. He always would.

"He didn't leave me," she told Mickey calmly.

"He's left you. Some boyfriend he turned out to be-" Mickey shot back in frustration.

"He didn't leave me," Cassie repeated just as neutral as before.

"Fine! I'll show you myself!" He shouted as he took Cassie's arm; pulled her out of the room and out the door to show her the disappeared TARDIS. Jackie and Rose following not far behind.

_**CLDW**_

They finally reach the courtyard and Mickey threw his hands into a 'ta-da' position showing that the TARDIS was gone.

"He's dumped you, Cassie, sailed off into space, how does it feel?" Mickey yelled at her as Rose and Jackie were coming out of the stairwell door.

"He didn't leave me," Cassie said again almost snapping at Mickey's yells.

"You're left behind with the rest of us earthlings. Get used to it!" Mickey yelled even louder. Wanting Cassie to feel the same way he did when the police came knocking on his door and Rose broke-up with him. Abandoned.

"Oh, my god!" Cassie yelled in frustration causing Mickey to turn around sharply, "Look, Mickey! I'm sorry that I left you behind! I'm sorry I let a man who can't even get the time right on a microwave, try and get me home at the right time! I'm sorry you got hauled into the police station for questioning about my disappearance! I'm sorry my mother has an over-active imagination and jumps to conclusions! I'm sorry Rose broke up with you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Cassie gave one last huff before she turned her back on the boy and to the spot the TARDIS had been in. Mickey stayed silent. He'd never heard Cassie really and properly yell. And it was mad scary.

"You two chimps, I don't know what you're on about." Jackie remarked for she and Rose had still been to far away to really hear what Cassie was yelling, "What's going on, what's this Doctor done now?" Cassie quickly turned back to Mickey to glare him into silence.

"The Doctor hasn't left me, Mickey." Cassie addressed him in a calm voice, "He promised he wouldn't. And he gave me this." She held up her key and it started to glow, "Haha, I told you!" She held it up for Mickey to see, then realized something. "Mom, Rose! Get inside! You don't want to...ah...leave your guest do you? Mom! Rose, please!" But they didn't listen before the TARDIS faded into existence.

Cassie groaned, "Oh, great."

"...How did you do that then?" Jackie asked as Rose went up to the machine to examine it.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor looked up as Cassie came to his side in the TARDIS. He smiled up at her guiltily then went back to what he was working on, explaining himself all the way.

"All right, so I lied, I went and had a look, but the whole crash-landing's a fake, I thought so, it was just _too_ perfect-I mean, hitting Big Ben, come on! So, I thought, let's go and have a look at the pilot-"

As he paused for a breath, Cassie cut in, "My mother, sister, and her boyfriend are here." The Doctor swung 'round to see the two blonds from the apartment and the plastic duplicate from before standing in on gangplank of the TARDIS, staring around in wonder. Well, the blonds were, the man was glaring at him fiercely. He stared a little at them before he turned back to Cassie.

"Ohh, just what I needed. Don't you dare make this place domestic!"

"Like I intentionally brought them here!" She shot back in frustration.

"You ruined my life, Doctor." Mickey cut in. Trying to let out some of his frustration on the man that he deemed to have been the cause of all this, "They thought she was dead, I was a murder suspect, all because of you"

"You see? Domestic!" He said as he brushed off Mickey's words.

"I bet you can't even remember my name!" Mickey jammed back into the Doctor's focus.

"Ricky."

"Mickey."

"No, it's Ricky." The Doctor insisted.

"I think I know my own name!" Cassie winced as the yelling reached a higher pitch and bounced off the walls.

"You _think_ you know your own name? How stupid are you?" The Doctor went back to his work on the TARDIS as Jackie whimpered and ran out of the TARDIS and Rose looked like she was about to pass out. Cassie just sighed and started to head out before she turned back to the Doctor and Mickey.

"Don't go away," she pointed her finger at the Doctor before she went a little ways and confronted Mickey, "Don't start a fight." She made her way over to Rose who had steadied herself on a coral pillar, "Just, calm down, Rose. It's alright. If you can, keep an eye on them. 'Kay?" Rose nodded jerkily and Cassie smiled while squeezing her hand. She headed for the door and called over her shoulder, "Mickey, make sure your girlfriend doesn't pass out."

"She'd not my girlfriend anymore!" He called back.

"We'll see!" Cassie sung before she shut the door and went searching for her mum. She spotted her running toward the stairs, "Mom! Please come back! Just try and cal...ugh." She pinched the bridge of her nose in more frustration. She wasn't about to run after her mum and almost endanger the Doctor leaving without her, "I'll, just, have me and Rose up in a minute."

She ran back into the TARDIS and smiled as she saw Mickey hugging Rose in a comforting way before jumping right back into the the conversation with the Doctor, "So the crash-landing was too 'perfect' was it?"

"Yup."

"So what was all that 'that was a genuine crash-landing' stuff you were saying before?" She teased him on his mistake. He sniffed loudly before answering.

"Well, I didn't have all the facts. I can't know everything!"

"Alright calm down, so it was all lies. Do you think it's an invasion?" Cassie quickly patched up their tiff and got back to business.

"Funny way to invade, putting the whole world on red alert." Mickey said behind them as he (with Rose tucked under his arm) came up behind them. Both he and Rose had peculiar looks on their faces as they watched Cassie and the Doctor interact. Like friends. It was odd.

The Doctor only glanced behind him slightly, "Good point. So what's going on?" He pulled the monitor up close to them to get a good look.

_**CLDW**_

"So what are you doing down there?" Mickey called to the Doctor under the flooring. Cassie was talking to Rose who was sitting on the jump seat, explaining how they met and the adventures her and the Doctor had been on.

"Ricky-"

"Mickey-"

"Ricky, if I told you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent timeship, would you even begin to understand?" He called up, holding up a bunch of wires in his hands.

"Suppose not," Mickey admitted.

"Well shut up then."

Mickey rolled his eyes as he went over to Rose and Cassie. Cassie was just getting to the part about Lady Cassandra 'the bitchy trampoline' when he butt in, "How you doin', babe?" Rose just nodded her head once. She was a lot less freaked out now by the time machine, "Nice friend you've got."

"Don't pay attention to him," she laughed, "He's just old and bitter!" She called loudly so the Doctor could hear her.

"Oi!"

"Nine hundred years?" she laughed when the Doctor remained silent and turned back to the two people in front of her who just looked at her stoically, "I am really sorry."

"Every day, I looked." Mickey said as he absentmindedly rubbed Rose arm, "Not just for their sake, but for mine, too. You're important to us Cassie. Ever since we found you in that alley," He paused for a minute then continued, "On every street corner, wherever I went. Looking for a blue box. For a whole year."

"It hasn't been that long for me," she insisted, "It's like I was telling you, Rose. It's only been a couple of days for me. I think. Little hard to tell in a time machine, but I swear it hasn't been that long since I left."

"Not long enough to miss us, then?" Rose asked with a slight quirk to her lips.

"How could I not miss you? Both of you." She held her arms out in a question of a hug. They both smiled and gave it to her.

"I missed you." Rose whispered in her ear and Cassie hugged her harder til she pulled back to look at both of them.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, kid." Mickey using her nickname made Cassie feel all warm inside. It was hard travelling in the TARDIS sometimes. Feeling all disattached from the world. Coming home made you feel like you were a part of something.

"So, twelve months... and you broke up with him, missy!" She pointed at Rose who looked guiltily down, but locked fingers with Mickey, "Have you been seeing anyone?"

"Nope." Mickey said as he took Rose's hand back.

"Good, don't want to make this match making anymore difficult." Rose just rolled her eyes as Mickey got a little sober.

"Mainly cos everyone thinks I murdered you."

"...Right" The stood in awkward silence before Cassie called up the nerve to ask the next question, "And, Chris?"

"Got it!" The Doctor said as Rose opened her mouth to answer. Cassie turned to where he was clamoring out of the floor and struggling. Cassie giggled to her self and went to help him. Filing the question under 'Ask Later'.

"Patched in the radar!" He said as her reached the console, "Looped it back twelve hours, so it's tracked the flight of that spaceship," He pulled the monitor close to him again as Cassie went to stand beside him and Rose and Mickey sort of faded into the background, "Here we go, hold on-Come on!"

"Violence is never the answer," Cassie quipped as he banged on the machine. The screen flickered and produced an image of the Earth. The Doctor's answer to her tease was a very mature sticking out of the tongue.

"That's the spaceship, on it's way to Earth, see?" He pointed as a representation of the ship came on screen, "Except! Hold on-" he pressed a few buttons to enlarge the picture and reveal another part of the image, "See? The ship did a sling-shot, round the Earth, before landing."

"Meaning it cam from Earth in the first place!" Cassie's memory was tickling her slightly as she managed to remember that an alien was involved. Something that started with an S and had a really long planet of origin name.

"Went up, came back down. Whoever these aliens are. They haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. Questions is, what have they been doing...?"

_**CLDW**_

"How many channels can you get?" Mickey wondered aloud as he and Rose came to stand behind Cassie and the Doctor as they looked at the scanner. It was tuned into the television network so they could watch it without going back tot he chaos of the flat.

"All the basic packages," The Doctor said distractedly.

"Sports channels?"

Cassie tsked, "Just like men to get right on down to sports," Rose giggled while the Doctor just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," he answered Mickey anyway, "I get the football. Hold on. I know that lot. UNIT, the Untied Nations Intelligence-"

"Taskforce?" Cassie interjected before the Doctor could finish. He gave her an odd look. It was one of those moments where she seemed to know a little to much. The T in UNIT could have stood for many things. Troops, Transactors, even Troubadours. But she had chosen the right one. Out of a million other options. Another thing they'd have to talk about.

"Yeah," the Doctor said as he brushed off her comment for a later date, "Good people."

"You worked for them," Mickey interrupted, "Cos I didn't just sit on my backside for twelve months, Doctor, I read up on you. Look deep enough, on the internet, in the history books, and there's your name. Followed by a list of...the dead." He hugged Rose closer as he worried about Cassie.

"That's nice, good boy, Ricky," The Doctor humored the man at his not surprising but honestly impressive research.

"Oi! Be nice!" Cassie yelled.

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose pipped up as she watched the officers get into the cars.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a bit since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife edge; there's aliens out there, and fake aliens, I don't want this alien," He pointed at himself, "Added to the mix. I'm staying undercover, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight-" He thought for moment before turning to Mickey, "Ricky, you've got a car, come on, you can drive-"

"Where to?" Mickey questioned as he led Rose after the Doctor and Cassie to the the doors.

"The roads are clearing, let's go and have a look at that spaceship." He opened the door and was blinded by a bright white light shining down from a helicopter. All of them froze for a moment before the Doctor and Cassie put their hands up as they saw soldiers running through the street towards them. Mickey, on the other hand, panicked and began to flee, trying to pull Rose with him.

"I'm not leaving her!" Rose exclaimed as she to put her hands up, too. Mickey gave up and ran to hide behind some garbage cans. Cassie caught sight of Jackie coming out of the building and trying to get to her and Rose. But being stopped by a soldier.

"Oh, she didn't," Cassie groaned as the Doctor and Rose glanced to where she was looking. Rose groaned to while the Doctor only chuckled and turned back toward the soldiers in front of them.

"Take me to your leader."

_**CLDW**_

The trio was ushered into a posh limo and promptly shut in.

"This is a bit posh! If I'd known it was like this, being arrested, I would've done it years ago," Rose said as she fingered buttons on her window seat door.

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted." The Doctor had the biggest grin on his face.

"To where?" Cassie popped in.

"Where d'you think? Downing Street."

"You're kidding!" Rose laughed. Cassie didn't really get. She gave Rose a questioning look. Rose only rolled her eyes, "The British White House."

"Oh!" Cassie finally got it. She may have been there for two years. Didn't mean she paid attention to politics. Rose rolled her eyes again and continued in her excitement.

"Ten Downing Street?"

"That's the one!" The Doctor laughed at the small sister interaction between the two. It reminded him of when he had siblings.

"We're going to Downing Street? Oh my God! But how come?"

"I hate to say it, but Ricky was right. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Cassie had smacked him, "What was that for?"

"_Mickey's_ my friend and her boyfriend. Don't deny it!" She turned quickly back to Rose before she could protest. Rose sighed but conceded. Cassie giggled and went back to the Doctor, "Be nice to him."

"Anyway, I've been visiting this planet, plenty of times, and over the years, I've been...noticed."

"And they _need_ you?" Cassie asked.

"Like it said on the news, they're gathering experts in alien knowledge." He smiled at them in a cocky sort of way, "And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?" Cassie teased him as Rose laughed when his face fell slightly.

"Apart from him."

"Nope. Can't think of anyone else," Cassie said in thought.

"I bet you can't," the Doctor muttered, "Who's the Prime Minister these days?"

"And I would know because?" Cassie said, putting her American accent on thick as the car stopped.

_**CLDW**_

The doors were opened and the three walked out into an all out press mob. With flashing camera bulbs, hollered questions, and microphones shoved in their faces. _This is what it must feel like to be a celebrity. _Cassie thought as she put her hand up to shield her face and moved quickly to the door the agents were ushering them to. Rose did the same, but the Doctor was waving his hand enthusiastically and enjoying the few minutes of fame in the spot light. When his movements began to be borderline cheesy, Cassie quickly gripped his arm and hauled him along as he continued to make an ass out of himself.

They finally reached the building and Cassie let go, "Boy, you really can be a ham can't you?" Cassie voiced as she straightened herself up from the reporters pushing in on all sides. What the press would do for a story.

"You take it when you can get it," he stated simply as he readjusted his jacket and turned toward the Indian man that was handing out ID cards to the other people going toward the door.

"Here's your ID card," he said, handing a square of plastic to the Doctor. Cassie stiffened slightly, remembering the detail about the card. This was her memory's problem, they only remembered little details. Electrifying ID cards, Corpses running amuck, and Jabe's death. But ask her who was behind the whole 'spaceship crashing into Big Ben' and she couldn't answer, "I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her," he said, pointing at Cassie, "And through extension her sister."

"You're the code nine, not them. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside." The man insisted as he tried to usher the Doctor through the door. But the Doctor stood his ground.

"They're staying with me."

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there." He tried to explain. Cassie noticed a woman coming toward them. She had short brown hair and looked in her late fifties. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister.

"Excuse me, are you the the Doctor...?" Harriet asked as she inserted herself into the conversation.

"We'll be all right, you go in," Rose told him. Not wanting to make a scene in such an important place.

"You sure?" The Doctor leaned in more to make the conversation more private.

"Oh not now, we're busy, can't you go home?" the Indian asked Harriet.

"They're the experts,-" Rose started before Cassie cut across her.

"You need to hear what they have to say. We'll be fine."

"I just need a word, that's all in private-" Harriet insisted, not having been noticed by the Doctor.

"Suppose. Stay out of trouble you two." He pointed at Cassie more then Rose before he started to head toward the door. But Cassie grabbed at him and gave him a hug. The Doctor gave her look.

"Watch out for the ID cards," she whispered in his ear. His eyebrows scrunched as he pulled away from her. She just nodded once at the card in his hand and turned away. He examined the card as he left.

"You haven't got clearance, now leave it-" the man turned back to Rose and Cassie, "I'll have to leave you with security..."

"That's alright," Harriet said quickly, grabbing Rose and Cassie's arms, "I'll look after these two. Let me be of some use." Harriet steered Rose and Cassie away as the man gave her a curious look, "Walk with me, just keep walking, don't look round, that's it." She took them into a deserted hallway, "Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

_**CLDW**_

"...This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right?" Harriet asked desperately, "He knows about aliens...?"

"Who wants to know?" Cassie asked. Then quickly hugged her as she broke down right in front of them. Rose rubbed her shoulder in comfort.

_**CLDW**_

Harriet had led them to the cabinet room and brought them to the cupboard inside the room. "They turn the body into the suit, a disguise, for the thing inside..." Harriet stammered as she held up the suit.

"It'll be alright, we believe you," Cassie said before she glanced over at Rose who had a disgusted look on her face, "Well I believe you, she's a bit new to this stuff. But it is alien-and they have some serious tech for this to happen," she hesitantly touched the finger of the suit and shivered as the once-had-been-flesh felt like rubber, "If we can found it, we can stop them from using it." She ran over to the other few cabinets in the room and began opening the doors. She yelped when a body came crashing out of one.

"Oh my God. Is that...?" Rose said as she recognized the missing Prime Minister on the floor.

"It looks like..." Harriet said as she creeped forward to get a better look.

"Harriet, for God sake!" All three whipped around to see the Indian man from before come into the room, "This has gone beyond a joke, you can't just wander round-" He stopped short as he noticed the body on the floor, "Oh my God. That's the Prime Minister."

"Very good, smart one." Cassie muttered.

"Ohhh, has someone been naughty?" A voice said behind them. They turned to see a woman, Margaret Blaine if Cassie recalled, walking into the room with her stomach gurgling as she shut the door.

"-But that's not possible-" the man from before tried to rationalize, "The Prime Minister left Downing Street, he was driven away-"

"And who told you that? Me," Margaret said with glee. She reached up her hand to her forehead and started to unzip the zipper hidden there. A blue light glowed from her head as the lights dimmed, casting a blueish hue throughout the room. Three people in the room stared in horror at the alien emerging from the skin suit. The fourth one had a far away look in her eyes as memories flooded back. The words _Slitheen _and _Raxacoricofallapatorius _ran through Cassie's mind as she tried to focus on the situation at hand.

The Slitheen immediately reached a claw out; grabbed a hold of the man's neck and hoisted up against the wall. His feet dangled with the life being drained out of him. Rose and Harriet had equal looks of horror on their faces and Cassie was the only one that was actually looking at ways of escape. Her mind however was split. One half of it was on the man getting killed right in front of her. The other half were on the group of people down stairs.

_Please, Doctor. _Cassie thought, _Save them_.

**A/N: I'd like thank everyone for giving me awesome ideas for how Cassie could remember the episodes. It also gave some great ideas for cute moments between the Doctor and Cassie later in my series. Like arguing over whether she can tell him something about the adventure. Or him trying to take peaks at the diary (Which will be made so she'll be referring to it). Of course these can't happen til he actually finds out she's from an alternate universe where he's a show. And then these moments wont fully be actualized until the third series. So something to look forward to.**

**BTW. I've decided to make this story into multiple stories. Because if this was just one big thing then it would be about 90 chapters or something. With one episode per chapter. The series will be called the Secrets Saga. **

**An original scene will be coming up in the next chapter. Not just a scene originally from the episode that I tweaked like the whole rooftop scene (which I'm pretty proud of). A completely never been thought of before scene that will include some people that aren't seen till later series' and some original characters. So keep an eye out.**

**So, love you all. Read, review, live! Bye!**

**P.S. Thank you all for getting me to 20 reviews! I'm so happy I could sing! But I won't! Cause that would be weird! See ya! **


	7. Chapter 7: World War Three

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

Suddenly the Slitheen was enveloped in an electric current and screamed as it dropped the body of the Indian man to the floor. Cassie took that chance to grab Harriet and Rose's arms and pulled them from the room. She said a silent prayer in her head for the man now dead on the floor and a promise to find out his name.

All of sudden Harriet pulled against her and started to head back, "No, they're still in there-the Emergency Protocols, we need them-"

"Quickly!" Cassie called. Her insistent wasn't needed when the electricity disappeared and the alien began to chase after them. Harriet double backed and ran with Rose and Cassie down the hall running into rooms and slamming the doors behind them, only for the Slitheen to crash through. They ran past the elevator only to be cut off by the Slitheen that had been following them. Suddenly, the elevator _pinged _and the doors opened to reveal the Doctor.

"Hello!" As the alien lurched forward, he whirred his screwdriver against the control panel and the doors shut.

"Come on!" Cassie said as she jerked Rose, using the distraction to escape.

_**CLDW**_

They ran into a room that looked very prestigious. It held plush couches and velvet curtains. There were no other doors in the room except the one they had just come through.

"What do we do?" Harriet asked as she looked around frantically.

"Hide!" Rose blurted as she went behind a desk. Harriet took cover behind a screen and Cassie sped behind a curtain. The door clicked as the Slitheen entered. It giggled as it looked around the room.

"Oh such fun. Little human children, where are yoooou...? Sweet little humeykins. Come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big green lips." Cassie put her hand over her mouth to silent her deep breathing. Two more Slitheen entered the room.

"Happy hunting?" One of the Slitheen asked. This one sounded like a man.

"It's wonderful, the more you prolong it...the more they _stink_." Cassie breathed in sharply in fear. She heard the same reaction from Rose and Harriet ever so slightly. Luckily, Slitheens don't have good hearing.

"Sweat and fear!" A different Slitheen declared.

"I can smell an old girl. Stale perfume and brittle bones." Cassie hoped Harriet wouldn't make any offended sounds.

"And two ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenalin... And something else?" All three Slitheen took another deep breath.

"One of the youngsters doesn't smell the same. She smells...different?"

"Yes, all the humans have the same underlying scent. Mixed with a plethora of different ones. But this one..."

"This one smells of a different world," The Margaret Slitheen turned toward the curtain and walked toward it slowly.

"But not of any world I've smelled." Cassie's breathing sped up as she pressed her hand harder to her mouth in an effort to stay quite. Her heart thudded in her chest and a ringing began in her ears.

"Oh smell that?" One of the men Slitheen asked, "She's so scared. Dripping with hormones and peroxide."

"Precious child!" The Margaret Slitheen cooed as she raised a claw to the curtain.

"No, take me first, take me!" Harriet popped out from her hiding spot in desperation. She didn't want either girl to die in her place. She was grateful to them for helping in her. And she'd be damned is she let any freaky alien kill them.

Margaret turned around and bared down on Harriet. Cassie took her chance and pulled the curtain down over the alien as the door was kicked open and the Doctor entered with a giant fire-extinguisher. He aimed it at the other two Slitheens that weren't tangled up in curtains and blasted them with it. They shrieked as they fell back, giving the humans in the room ample time to escape.

"Out! With me!" Cassie immediately ran to the Doctor followed by Harriet.

"Come on, Rose!" Cassie called as the blond was lagging behind. When they all reached him he blasted the extinguisher again.

"Who the hell are you?" The Doctor asked, looking over at Harriet.

"Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North," Cassie and Harriet recited simultaneously. Harriet gave her a look when she only smiled back.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The Doctor gave a final blast and turned to run, dragging Cassie by the hand behind him.

_**CLDW**_

"Got to get to the Cabinet Room-" The Doctor yelled as they ran through the halls of Downing Street.

"That's what I said, the Emergency Protocols are in there – they give instructions, about aliens," Harriet said in-between deep breathing.

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"I like you too, I think."

"Yes, we all like each other! Now shift!" Cassie yelled as she yanked opened another door and ran through it.

_**CLDW**_

They reached the Cabinet Room and slammed the door shut as they saw the aliens galloping behind them. The Doctor immediately ran over to the tray with different alcoholic drinks.

"You better be using that for a plan other than drinking it!" Cassie yelled with her back still pressed up against the door.

"Move!" He yelled. The Slitheen opened the door on the adjoining room just as the Doctor opened the door and lifted his screwdriver, "One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of the alcohol. Woomph, we all go up. So back off." The Slitheen immediately stopped and stared at them. The Doctor gave a searching look before continuing, "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet interjected.

"Yes I got that, thanks."

"And who are you? If not human?" A male Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet interjected again.

"He's not human," Cassie said nonchalantly.

"He's not human?" Rose added with shock.

"Could I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor asked to quiet both women.

"Sorry," Harriet and Rose said as Cassie nodded.

"So what's the plan?" The Doctor turned back to the Slitheen in question.

"But he's got a northern accent," Harriet jumped back in, just as curious.

"Apparently lots of planets have a north," Cassie answered back.

"I said hush!" He had a stare down with Cassie as she was the most defiant of the group. When she just smirked back it him, he turned back to the aliens, "Come one! You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. And you've murdered your way to the top of the government, what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this godforsaken rock?" One of the Slitheen sneered.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here, what is it?" But the aliens just began to laugh.

"The Slitheen race?" One choked out in-between laughs.

"Slitheen is not out species," Another one chimed.

"Slitheen is our surname."

"Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen. At your service," One of the Slitheen introduced with a bulky bow.

"So...you're a family?" The Doctor reasoned.

"A family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How d'you do that, on a godforsaken rock...?" The Doctor tried to figure out. Cassie would have told him if she remembered. She knew it had something to do, as it always did, with burning the Earth to a crisp and selling it in lumps of rock. She just couldn't remember how they wanted to bring it about. She was jumped out of her thoughts as the Slitheen stopped laughing and gained a threatening presence.

"Excuse me. Tell me again, your sonic device will do what? 'Triplicate the flammability'?"

"Is that what I said?" The Doctor said with a questioning look.

"You're making it up," another Slitheen accused.

"Oh well. Nice try. Harriet, have a drink, you're going to need it." He started to pass the bottle over to Harriet before Cassie piped up.

"Rude, to the left." She held her hand out for the bottle as the Doctor changed directions and gave the bottle over to Cassie.

"It's true."

"Now we can end this hunt. With a slaughter," a Slitheen said and forced itself into focus. The whole family in the doorway began to creep forward.

"Don't you think we should run...?" Rose asked from her place next to Cassie who only smiled at her in a 'you have so much to learn' way.

"Fascinating history, Downing Stress." The Doctor began one of his many, _many _lectures to the aliens that kept creeping closer and closer, "Two thousand years ago, this was marshland, it was called the Island of Thorns. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. Nice man. And since 1796, this has been the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session, and in danger, then these four walls are just about the safest place in the whole of Britain." Cassie saw his hand go to the side of the door and open up a secret hatch that housed a button, "End of lesson." He pressed it, and a solid plate of steel slammed into place. More sheets began covering all doorways and windows in the room.

"Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel, lining every single wall. They'll never get in." The Doctor grinned as he knocked on the door to showcase his theory.

"And...the getting out part of the equation?" Cassie said as she raised her eyebrow.

The Doctor's face slowly faded from his smile to a thoughtful look, "Ah."

"And there's the lightbulb!" Cassie cheered as she patted him on the shoulder and went to put the bottle down. Even in the danger of the situation, Harriet couldn't help but smile at the easiness of the relationship between Cassie and the Doctor.

"Oh, Doctor," Cassie called, "If you think you can take on three eight-foot aliens, there are probably more. So I wouldn't recommend rushing them."

_**CLDW**_

"What was his name?" The Doctor had keeled down in front of the man the Slitheen had killed earlier.

"Who?" Harriet asked as she looked up.

"This one. The secretary, or whatever he was."

Harriet's face became more grave with sadness, "I don't know. I spoke with him. I brought him a coffee. I never asked his name."

"Indra Ganesh," Cassie said was she looked out the window.

"What?"

"His name," she pointed at the body, "It's Indra Ganesh."

"How do you know that?" The Doctor asked. He was suspicious again. Thinking back to the conversation that was cut short by the spaceship crashing.

She held up a square shape in her hand that she had been fiddling with, "Wallet fell out when he hit the floor." She placed it on the table and returned back to the window.

"Oh," The Doctor had a guilty look on his face as he turned back to Indra, "Sorry." His demeanor changed suddenly as he turned to assess the room, "Right then, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

"Uh, no. This place is antique," Rose answered as she, too, looked around the room, "What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"Have you seen them?!" Cassie called as she went to the Doctor's side.

"He's to slim," the Doctor agreed, "They're big old beasts, they've got to fit inside big humans."

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet, how do they squeeze inside?"

"That's the gadget round their necks, a compression field. Literally, shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange."

"I could use one of those, fit into a size six," Cassie joked as she rifled through random papers on the desk.

"Excuse me!" Harriet interrupted indignantly, "People are dead, it's not the time for making jokes."

"Sorry. This is a normal day with him. Kind of goes with the friendship," Cassie said.

"Well that's a strange friendship."

"Tell me about it," Rose muttered.

"Harriet Jones," the Doctor continued, not bothering to pay attention to the two other women, "I've heard the name before, Harriet Jones, you're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Hardly!" She scoffed bitterly.

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones...?"

"Lifelong backbencher, I'm afraid," She sighed helplessly, "And a fat lot of good I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list people who could help, but they're all dead downstairs."

"Or in the hospital," the Doctor chimed in.

Cassie turned abruptly and quickly rushed over to the Doctor, "Really! Some survived?"

"Yeah, I watched out for the ID cards," he smirked sadly. He had questioned her knowledge of things to come, but who was he to question it when something dangerous was around.

Cassie hugged him enthusiastically and jumped up and down in place. The Doctor grinned at her antics and Rose rolled her eyes but laughed none the less before turning back to Harriet.

"Anyway, hasn't it got like, defence codes and things? Couldn't we launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

"You're a very violent young woman," Harriet remarked.

"My little sister is in danger. And there is nothing I wouldn't suggest to get her out safe," Rose said seriously. Harriet searched her face for any sign of jest, but was met with dead seriousness. She quickly turned away and continued.

"There's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but they're kept secret by the United Nations."

"Say that again," the Doctor said as he looked at her with a fierce intensity.

"What, about the codes...?"

"Anything, all of it."

"Um, well. The British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN."

"Never stopped them before," Cassie muttered, leaning on the table.

"Well exactly, given out past record-and I did vote against that, thank you very much-the codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN...Is it important?" Harriet questioned as she relayed information concerning the nuclear weapons.

"Everything's important," the Doctor muttered.

"It would help if we knew what the Slitheen wanted. Look at me! I'm saying 'Slitheen' like it's normal," she walked around the table in thought.

"But what do they want, though?" Rose asked.

"Well they're just one family, so it's not an invasion, they don't want Slitheenworld. They're out to make money. That means they're going to _use_ something. Something here on Earth. Some sort of asset..."

"What, like gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet thought.

"You're very good at this," the Doctor grinned over at her.

"Thank you."

"Why do I know the name Harriet Jones...?" Cassie was about to tell him and put him out of his misery of smacking himself in the face when he figured it out, but her phoned beeped.

"Sorry, that's me-"

"But-we're sealed off, how d'you get a signal?" Harriet asked as she went to look at the phone.

"He tricked it out. Super, smartphone now."

"Then phone for help!" Rose quickly ran over to the group.

"You must have contacts!" Harriet agreed.

"Dead downstairs, or in the hospital." The Doctor reminded them.

"It's Mickey," Cassie said as she clicked into the message.

"Tell her stupid boyfriend we're busy."

"I told you," Cassie said as she looked at the picture, "He's not stupid." She turned her phone toward him to show him the picture of a Slitheen being electrocuted in the Tyler's kitchen.

_**CLDW**_

"...Not just alien, but like, proper alien, like all stinking and wet and disgusting," Mickey was on the phone with Cassie, who was holding the phone in-between Rose and her, "And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!"

"I could've died!" Jackie chimed in.

"Is she all right though?" Rose asked.

"Don't put her on, just tell us-" Cassie cut in.

"Is that Ricky?" the Doctor asked as he took the phone from in-between Cassie and Rose, "Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

"It's Mickey!" Mickey and Cassie yelled at the same time.

"And why should I?" Mickey finished.

"Mickey the idiot. I might just choke before I finish this sentence-OW!" the Doctor yelled when Cassie hit him in the arm. He glared at her before continuing, "I need you."

There was silence on the other end of the line before the sound of clicking on a keyboard began, "It says password," Mickey said.

The Doctor fumbled with the phone before Cassie took it out of his hands and put it on speaker for him, "Say again." The Doctor said as Cassie put it on the table.

"It's asking for the password."

"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L." More clicking.

"So what's that website?" Cassie heard Jackie asked through the phone.

"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years, and they've kept us in the dark," Mickey answered.

"Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Be nice," Cassie warned.

"Thank you. Password again," Mickey said between clicks.

"Just repeat it, every time." The Doctor was silent as he listened, "Big Ben. Why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said, to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet voiced.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon, you don't need to crash-land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on red alert," Rose mused.

"Question is, why would they do that?" Cassie agreed.

"Oh listen to them!" Jackie put her two-cents in as always.

"Oi! Least we're trying," Rose defended.

"We'll I've got a question, it you don't mind. Cos since that man walked into our lives, I've been attacked in the street, I've had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and I've had one of my daughters disappear off the face of the Earth-" Jackie nagged.

"I already told you what happened-"

"I'm talking to him! Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor, and maybe you get off on it-"

"Oh, God," Cassie face-palmed herself in embarrassment.

"Maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but tell me, just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?"

"She's fine-" Rose tried, but with a worried look on her face as if she was thinking the same thing.

"_Is she safe?_ Will she always be safe, can you promise me that?" The Doctor remained silent as he watched Cassie. A far away look in his eye as if he was remembering something.

"Well? What's the answer?" A _**bleep**_ was heard on the phone.

"We're in," Mickey called.

"Now then, on the left, at the top, there's a tab, an icon, little concentric circles-click on that." They heard a click on the line. A strange noise started filtering through the speaker.

"...What is it?" Mickey asked, confused.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea, and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it says."

"He'll have to answer me one day," Jackie voiced.

"Hush!" Mickey scolded her.

"...It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?" Rose wondered.

"Don't know, it's on a loop, keeps repeating." A doorbell was heard in the background.

"Hush!"

"That's not me," Mickey defended, "Go and see who it is."

"It's three o'clock in the morning," Jackie complained.

"Well go and tell them that," Mickey countered.

"It's beaming out into space. Who's it for...?" The Doctor continued, not worried about the late night caller. A few minutes later they heard Jackie's hysterical voice on the line.

"It's him, it's the thing! It's the Slickeen!"

"They've found use!" Mickey yelled. The signal the Doctor was listening to, was cut off as Mickey shut the laptop.

"Mickey, I need that signal-"

"Never mind the signal, get out of there! Mum, get out!" Rose called in anxiety.

"We can't, it's by the front door!" Mickey yelled. They heard running and Cassie and Rose waited nervously, "It's unmasking. Oh my God. It's going to kill us."

"There's got to be a way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!" Harriet thought quickly. She may not have known the people on the other end of the phone. But they were important to Rose and Cassie. So they were important to her.

"I'm _trying!_" The Doctor spat in frustration.

"I'll take it on, Jackie, you just run. Don't look back. Just run." Mickey yelled.

"That's our mother," Rose almost pleaded. The Doctor looked over at Cassie and saw the look on her face. It was the face of fear, honest to God fear. Fear for Jackie and Mickey, fear for Rose, fear for Harriet, for him, but never for her. And that was when he sprang into action.

"Right! If we're gonna find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from, what planet, so!, judging by their basic shape, that narrows down to about five thousand planets within travelling distance, what else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green!" Rose blurted out.

"Doctor," Cassie tried.

"Yep, that narrows it down-"

"Good sense of smell-"

"Narrows it down-"

"Doctor."

"They can smell adrenalin-"

"Narrows it down-"

"That pig technology-" Harriet jumped in.

"Narrows it down-"

"Doctor!"

"It's getting in!" Mickey yelled.

"They hunt, like it's a ritual-"

"Narrows it down-"

"Doctor!"

"Wait a minute, did you notice, when they...fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a...fart. If you'll pardon the word, it's something else, what is it?, it's more like..."

"Bad breath!" Rose cheered.

"That's it!" Harriet cheered too.

"Calcium decay! Now _that_ narrows it down!"

"We're getting there, mum!" Rose called into the phone.

"Too late!" Mickey yelled as a crash was heard.

"For the love of God, Doctor!" Cassie yelled, "They're Raxacoricofallapatorians!" The Doctor stared at her wide eyed and mouth hanging open slightly.

"What?"

"Never mind that! What does it mean?" Rose yelled. Even though she was wondering how Cassie knew that, too.

"We know their planet of origin," the Doctor whispered.

"Oh great, we can write to them!" Mickey hysterically joked.

"Get into the kitchen!" The Doctor said, snapping back into the moment. They waited as they heard a rhythmic pounding of the Slitheen on the door.

"Calcium, weakened by the compression field-acetic acid! Vinegar!" The Doctor trilled out.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet made the connection.

"Just like Hannibal! Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How would I know?!"

"It's your kitchen!" The Doctor accused.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf!" Rose immediately said. Knowing her boyfriends kitchen better than him.

"Oh give it here-" Jackie called. A shuffling was heard as the phone exchanged hands, "What d'you need?"

"Vinegar! And a lot of it!" The Doctor called.

"Gherkins!" Jackie called as she pulled out food items, "Pickled onions! Pickled eggs!"

The Doctor made a disgusted face, "And you kiss this man?" He flinched slightly, waiting for Cassie to hit him or tell him off. But nothing happened. He looked over at Cassie who was just sitting there staring at the phone, chewing on her thumb slightly in nervousness. She was purposely avoiding his gaze. She had been quiet ever since she had told them about the planet. He would talk to her about that later. A long with a heap load of other topics.

They heard a roar on the line and Cassie stiffened slightly, there was static then a giant splashing sound.

"They got it," Cassie breathed as she slouched down in a seat. The Doctor, Rose, and Harriet also let out a breath they were holding in.

"Hannibal?" Rose said after a while.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar." Harriet answered from her seat.

"Oh. Well there we are, then."

_**CLDW**_

"_I beg of the United Nations. Pass an Emergency Resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival. Because as of this moment, it is my solemn duty to inform you, that Planet Earth is at war." _The Doctor had linked the TV set in the room up to the news channel that was showing footage of Joe Green (the acting Prime Minister)/Slitheen telling the world the direness of the situation.

"He's making it up!" The Doctor burst out saying, "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat, he just invented it!"

"D'you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"Well, you did last time," Rose pointed out.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle-they want the whole world panicking, cos you lot, you get scared, you lash out and..." He raised his hand as he saw Rose was about to answer, "Cassie?" The girl had still yet to speak up since the planet guessing incident. He knew the girl would have answered most of the questions he had been passing around, but she had been silent and had let Harriet and Rose answer them. The only reason he saw was she didn't want to upset him anymore then she already had. But her silence was more upsetting.

"Um...releasing the defence codes?" She answered hesitantly. She had been surprised that he had wanted her to speak. She had been trying to give him room enough to cool down from her previous revelation. The Doctor gave her an easy smile and pointed a finger at her telling her she was right.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear!" The Doctor finished.

"But why?" Harriet's question was cut off when the Doctor marched over to door, Cassie in tow, and punched the button to release the steel. Three out of skin Slitheens plus Margaret were standing just beyond the door.

"You get the codes. Launch the missiles. But not into space, cos there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate. Fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked." The Doctor told them. No hint of question in his voice.

"And we can sit through it, safe in our spaceship, waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked, barely two minutes away," Margaret gloated.

"But you'll destroy the planet. This beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked horrified and curious.

"Wait, Doctor," Cassie cut across what the Doctor was about to say, "You said that they were out for profit. And then there's that signal beaming into space. It's an advert. For the fuel the Earth'll make when its nuked to a crisp." The Doctor slowly gained a smile as he watched her figure it out. It was the most she'd said in a while. And it made him happy.

"Oh, very good, little hormone house," Margaret simpered as the Doctor pushed Cassie behind him slightly. He didn't like the alien calling her that, "Sale of the century! We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chunks, capable of powering every cut-price starliner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor, people are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of five billion lives." The glare the Doctor was giving Margaret would have made a tougher alien quiver in fear.

"Bargain," Margaret stated simply.

"Then I give you a choice. Leave this planet. Or I will stop you."

"What?" Harriet laughed, "You? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me." And he hit the button again, watching the steel slam back into place. He breathed heavy; slowly turning away from the door. But he did turn to Cassie and put a hand on her shoulder, "You were fantastic." He was referring to her figuring out the advert.

"Thanks."

_**CLDW**_

They had gotten back on the phone with Mickey and Jackie after the confrontation with the Slitheen, "All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you. But there must be something you can do," Jackie said. Being helpful and patronizing in the same sentence.

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet chimed in.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose called.

"There's a hundred emergency numbers, but they're all on voicemail."

"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet mused.

"If we could just get out of here," Rose muttered.

"There is a way out," the Doctor said quietly, almost to himself.

"Then why don't we use it?" Rose insisted.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughters will be safe."

"Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare," Jackie shrieked through the phone line.

"But that's the thing. If I don't dare, then everyone dies." The Doctor told her seriously.

"Do it," Cassie told him.

"You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?" He said with a slight tickle in his mind. This was always they way with his companions. They always trusted him too much. Even to their death.

"It doesn't matter," Cassie repeated from their travel to Cardiff.

"Oh please though. Doctor, she's, my daughter, her and Rose, they're just kids-" Jackie begged.

"D'you think I don't know that? Cos this is my life, Jackie. It's not clever, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision. Because no one else will." He looked at Cassie through his whole speech. Searching for any sign of doubt in her features. He found none.

"I'm telling you do it," she insisted.

"I could save the world but lose you." He cast his eyes down when he said those words. He had never admitted anything so personal, to anyone. It was hard to say. There was a pause as Cassie processed this. It was almost mind-blowing to hear the Doctor saying things like that to _her_.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," the silence was broken by Harriet's declaration.

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie's screech came over the phone.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," she said proudly for once, "The only elected representative in this room. Chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

There was an awkward silence before the Doctor gave one of his 'devilish' smiles.

_**CLDW**_

"...So how do we get out?" Rose questioned, not really following the whole conversation.

"We don't. We stay here!" The Doctor cheered before he called into the phone, "Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything-"

"...But what are you doing?" Jackie asked, just as clueless as Rose.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy-" Mickey said nonchalantly. A few more clicks were heard, "We're in! Here it is-HMS _Taurean_, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."

"Right, we've got to select a missile-" The Doctor prompted.

"We can't go nuclear, we haven't got defence codes-" Mickey protested, starting to worry about the Doctor's plan.

"Don't need it, all we need is an ordinary missile, what's the first category?"

"Sub Harpoon, UGM-84A."

"That's the one! Select!" The Doctor cheered.

"I could stop you," Jackie stated.

"Do it then," Mickey offered as he continued with his work.

"Mom?" Cassie called over the phone, "You know it's right." There was silence except for deep breathing on the line. But the Doctor was getting restless.

"Ready for this?"

"Yup," Mickey agreed.

"Mickey the idiot," the Doctor mused, "The world is in your hands. Fire!" They heard a sharp stab of a key.

"...Oh my God," Jackie breathed.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked suddenly, knocking on a shutter.

"Not solid enough. Built for short-range attack, nothing this big," the Doctor said.

"Enough talk," Cassie called as she made her way over to the closet that she remembered from the show, "My decision now is to survive. I'm not letting my sister die because I dragged her into something." She came out of the cupboard with a stack of books, cleaning out the contents.

"Oh," Rose exclaimed as she ran forward to help Cassie, "It's like they say about earthquakes, you can survive them by standing under the doorframe-this cupboard's small, so it's strong, help us, _come on!_" Harriet immediately ran to help them clean out the rest of the files and books and coats. The Doctor just looked on with a smile on his face. Loving every minute.

_**CLDW**_

"It's on radar!" Cassie heard Mickey call as she rushed out of the cupboard.

"Stop them intercepting it!" The Doctor yelled into the phone.

"Doing it now!"

Cassie, Rose, and Harriet had finished clearing out the closet and had taken refuge in there. Cassie rushing back out to haul the Doctor into the cupboard. The Doctor slammed the door shut and crouched down, clasping Cassie's hand in one hand and Harriet's in another. Cassie took Rose's hand to give comfort.

"We're ready," she stated as they all looked to the ceiling in anticipation.

"Nice knowing you all. Hannibal!" Harriet stated as her might-be last words. It took a little while as the waited on pins and needles. They breathed deeply in anxiety when suddenly-_Bang_-The whole place shook as the missile impacted. The Doctor clutched at Cassie's hand, not wanting to let it go. Wanting some reassurance that she would make it through this alive. But her fingers slipped from his gripe when they toppled from their places and bounced around the cupboard. They were suddenly in free fall when the Cabinet Room, only a metal box know, fell through the floor. There was one final jolt as the box hit the ground. They all looked around. Silently waiting for more crashing and banging. But none came.

_**CLDW**_

Harriet held a hand out for Cassie through the door they found in the box. Cassie then helped out Rose and the Doctor who looked around like they were surprised to be alive. Considering they were now standing in the middle of rubble.

"Made in Britain!" Harriet declared happily. She patted the box with genuine pride in her country's workmanship. They picked their way through the destruction of Downing Street and made their way to the street. Where they were greeted by a soldier.

"Oh my God," He exclaimed. Surprised to see anyone walk away from the flattening of the building, "Are you all right?"

Harriet immediately held up her card, "Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. You must contact the UN immediately, tell the ambassadors, the crisis has passed, they can stand down. Tell the news, go on!" The soldier rushed off to the mass of police cars and media trucks, "Someone's got a hell of a job, sorting this lot out-oh my Lord," she realized something, "We haven't even got a Prime Minister."

"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor suggested.

"Me! I'm just a backbencher," Harriet insisted.

"We'd vote for you," Cassie countered.

"Now don't be silly-look, I'd better go and help, hold on-" She rushed off toward the people down the road calling down to them, "We're safe! The Earth is safe!"

"Did you remember where you heard Harriet Jones from?" Cassie questioned as she watched Harriet. Swinging her arms in passion.

"I did," he admitted, "Harriet Jones. Future Prime Minister, elected for three successive terms, the architect of Britain's Golden Age."

"Ladies and gentlemen, spread the word, tell your neighbours, tell your children, tell your friends, the crisis has passed! Mankind stands tall! Undefeated and proud! God bless the Human Race!"

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was in about her fourth Tyler hug that day. Jackie had just about pounced on them when they entered Mickey's flat. Cassie broke away from hug and went to hug Mickey as he exited his bedroom. Before Rose could get to him Cassie asked him an important question.

"Could you drive me down to Leadworth? I need to see them." Mickey nodded and then turned to Rose to ask her if she would like to come, too. She nodded of course.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie held her breath as she raised a fist to knock on the door in front of her. Amy's door. After dealing with the Slitheen and telling the Doctor she had something she needed to do before heading off again, she'd asked Mickey for a ride down. He was, at the moment, browsing through the tiny shops in the main Leadworth town area with Rose. They had both understood that she needed to do this alone.

Cassie knew they would all be there. Amy, Rory, Mels, Lily, and..._Him_. It was Saturday, their weekly movie night. Cassie had been the one to first instigate it. Starting it off a girls night only, but after thinking it over and arguing it with Amy and Mels (and a substantial amount of whining from the boys) Amy and Mels had relented and allowed the boys to join. So this was it. She was facing them all at once.

She breathed deep again as she heard the sound of a clicking lock before her and a voice.

"Ya know," a muffled Scottish accent drawled through the door, "It's been 30 minutes, that pizza is..." The red-head trailed off as she fully opened the door and saw Cassie standing there with a sheepish grin on her face, "Free."

Cassie lifted her hand in greeting, "Hey, Amy," giving a little wave. When Amy continued to stare at her, she awkwardly put her hand down. They stood there like that for what felt like an hour. Amy staring with wide eyes and Cassie who held her hands uncomfortably behind her back.

"It's you," Amy breathed, breaking the silence. She came a little out of the door way to get a better look at the girl who was on her stoop. The impossible missing girl that had been gone for a year then just waltzed on to her stoop and looked guilty as hell, "Oh, my God!" The fiery red-head lunged forward and enveloped the auburn haired girl into her arms, "Oh, my God."

Cassie wound her arms around Amy's waist as she returned the hug and buried her face in her friends familiar shoulder. It was like her hug with Rose and Jackie. Travelling in the TARDIS might be amazing, but it would never feel as at home like this did.

Amy abruptly pulled back to look deep into Cassie's face, as if to memorize it, "It's really you?"

"Yup, it's really me," Cassie said, "Just got back today."

"Thanks for calling," Amy laughed out as she gripped Cassie's wrists tighter.

"Got busy," Cassie giggled as well.

"We've got to tell the others," Amy yanked Cassie into the door and closed it behind her, "Everyone! Come quick," she called down the hall as she lead Cassie to the family room door.

"Amy, what is it?" Rory called, coming into the hallway, only to stop dead. He looked at Cassie as if he'd seen a ghost, "Oh, my God." Rory mimicked Amy who only laughed as he quickly came forward to give her a hug. It wasn't as lengthy as Amy's, but it was nice, "Come on!" He dragged Cassie closer toward the door, "The others'll want to see you!"

"Rory, Amy, what's taking so long?" Cassie heard Mels' voice coming from the door Rory had exited. Rory's only answer was to push Cassie first into the room and crowd into the doorway with Amy. The three people in the room glanced up and gained the wide-eyed syndrome that seemed to be going around. The two black women that were sitting on sofa sprang up like rabbits. The taller one, Lily, almost charged Cassie and tackled her to the ground in a hug, Cassie giving a surprised scream as she fell.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Lily kept repeating over and over again as she buried her face in Cassie's hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

Cassie giggled slightly after she recovered from the shock, "I missed you too, Lily." Cassie said, making her way to a standing position again, bringing Lily with her as she went. When Lily finally let go, Mels was next in line to come up to her. Cassie didn't expect a hug from Mels. She wasn't a hugging person. However, she was a hitter when you got her mad.

"Where. The. Hell. Have. You. Been," Mels said through gritted teeth as she pointed each word with a smack to Cassie's arms.

"OW! Mels that hurts! I'm sorry I didn't call! I meant to I really did! I just forgot!"

"A year!" Mels paced away from Cassie as she hollered a lot like Jackie had before, "For a year it never crossed your mind to call and tell your family and friends you weren't dead!"

"Yes, I know. I already went over this Rose and mom." The people in the room she could see (there still was one person still standing in the corner) jerked to look at her in surprise, "What?"

"That's the first time you've ever called her mum in front of us. It's usually Mrs. Tyler or Jackie even," Amy voiced, a smile coming to her lips at Cassie's acceptance of her new family.

"Just been through some stuff." Cassie said absentmindedly. Her attention had been caught by the person still in the corner. Looking on the scene with almost a distant look. She went to stand in front of the boy and put her hands on either side of his face.

"Hey, Chris." She looked right into his green eyes and saw all the fear and happiness. Fear for what might have been done to her in the year she'd gone missing. Happiness for finally having her back.

"Hi, Cas." His voice was scratchy, as if from disuse. He put his hands over hers and leaned into them.

"Been a while," she mused. Her mind going somewhere she hadn't been for a couple of days. Or a year. However you wanted to look at it.

"Yeah," his eyes had a glint in them. Saying they knew what she was thinking, "It has." He brought his hands to her face and pulled it toward him til their lips met. It was passionate and fiery, yet sweet and endearing. It was everything one hoped for in a kiss when they had been away from their love. They broke apart when some throat clearing and coughing could be heard. Cassie looked to see Amy and Rory in each others arms smiling at them. Lily had a far away sad/happy look on. Mels was the only annoyed one, the source of the clearing and coughing.

"Yes, we know. It's been a while since you two sucked faces, but can we please get on with interrogating Cassie about where she's been for the past year. Or are none of you curious as to why she just dropped off the face of the Earth and then just dropped back on."

"Oh, Mels. Still as charming as ever I see," Cassie rolled her eyes, Chris bringing her closer to his chest, "I taught you well."

"You taught me!?" Mels snorted, "If anything I taught you!" The group laughed with ease.

"I would like to know actually," Chris said after the laughter had died down, "Where my girlfriend has been for the past twelve months."

"Oh, so I'm officially your girlfriend now, am I?" Cassie joked, trying to avoid the question.

"You've always been my girlfriend," Chris stated simply, "But don't change the subject. Where were you?"

Cassie bit her lip. This was going to be tough to explain. For one thing, she couldn't tell them it was THE Doctor 'cause that might tip Amy off as to what she knew. Plus, Mels was there and it was a little early for her to be super obsessed with the Doctor yet. This Melody/River/Mels wasn't scheduled to meet the Doctor til his eleventh incarnation. Cassie had to be careful of what she said. Then a thought struck her. She'd already thought about taking a page out of River's book with the diary idea. Why not take a sheet out of Jack's?

"Let's just say," Cassie said as her stream of thinking whizzed through her brain, "I was with a doctor." She saw Mels stiffen like she predicted she would. What was odd was that Amy didn't seem to perturbed by the name. It looked like it didn't mean a thing in the world to her. And odder still, Lily and Chris stiffened also at the name. Of course, she wasn't quite sure she'd actually saw Lily, but Chris she'd felt right next to her freeze. Now what did that mean?

"Like in a hospital?" Amy questioned.

"No, more like travelling." Mels, Lily, and Chris stiffened even more.

"Oh, so it was like a research thing, yeah?" Rory chimed in with his theory. _Why not?_ Cassie thought. Travelling with the Doctor was like one big research trip.

"Yeah. He's a doctor of history, physics, and biology."

"So you went to tombs and things?" Amy asked interested.

"Oh, yeah. Love a tomb." Just then, her mobile began to vibrate. She looked at the caller ID and nearly laughed when it said TARDIS, "Sorry, got to take this. It's Doctor...Smith!" She used his pseudonym John Smith just to give him a name and maybe drop some suspicious looks she was receiving from Mels. She quickly answered the call once she was in the hall. Not noticing three pairs of eyes following her out.

_**CLDW**_

"Hello?"

"Where are you? I'm only gonna be a couple of hours, then we can go," The Doctor practically shouted into the phone.

"Sorry, I had to go do something. But, hang on. When did you get a phone?"

"What, d'you think I can travel in time and space but haven't got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours-I've just got to send out a dispersal-" There were noises that crackled through the phone, "There you go! That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert. Just in case any bargain hunters turn up."

"I just came to talk to some friends I haven't seen in technically a year."

"I said I was sorry. All of time and space I have to choose. Sorry I can't pick one point precisely."

"Okay, okay. Sorry I mentioned it. But anyway, when I get back to London, mom's cooking tea. For us."

"I don't do that," the Doctor said simply.

"She and Rose just want to know somethings about you," Cassie defended.

"Well, tough, I've got better things to do."

"It's only tea."

"Not for me, it isn't."

"They're my family," Cassie really wanted to at least get them on speaking terms with each other.

"They're not mine!"

"Fine be mister grumpy pants! But right now I'm about two hours away from you. So you'll just have to wait till I get back. At least go and talk to them!"

"No, I don't do domestic. You can always stay, if you want!" Cassie took a sharp breath in at hearing those words. There was silence from him as he thought about what he said. The Doctor hadn't meant it. He truly hadn't, but he sometimes spoke in the heat of the moment. He continued with a softer voice, "But right now, there's this plasma storm brewing, in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning, ten million miles wide. I could fly the TARDIS right into the heart of it. Then ride the shockwave all the way out, hurtle right across the sky and end up...anywhere. Your choice." The line clicked when he hung up. Cassie sighed. He could really be stubborn when he wanted to be. But she couldn't just leave again.

She dialed Mickey's number and waited as she listened to the ringing tone, "_Hello?_" Mickey answered on the fifth ring.

"Mickey, can you get to Amy's house in 10 minutes?"

"_Yeah, easy._"

"Good, see you then." She hung up the phone before going to stand in front of the door to her friends. She opened it only to reveal Chris standing there looking sad.

"You're leaving so soon?" The other four people in the room jerked their head over to where Cassie and Chris were standing.

"I have to. Dr. Smith just called and got a dig out in...Peru. Uncovering some Incan tomb. He needs me," she tried to make them understand. Even if it was a lie.

"But we just found out you were alive!" Amy exclaimed from her place in Rory's arms.

"You can't just go!" Lily agreed.

"You at least have to tell us something," Mels joined into the gang up.

"I promise I'll call you! I wont ever forget you guys. I'll call ever week I'm away. If I don't, you have my full permission to kick my ass Mels, Amy, and Lily."

"I'm holding you to that," Amy said as she wagged her finger at Cassie. She then went to hug her and began the line of hugs from Mels, Lily, and Rory. Chris held back from the group and watched them. Cassie finally pulled out of the last hug and went over to Chris.

"Can I talk to you?" Chris only nodded as he went into the hallway followed by Cassie. Chris wouldn't look at her when the door had shut. So she pulled his head to look into his eyes, "I'm sorry I have to go. But I do. It's my only chance of getting out of this...boring existence." She held up her finger as Chris opened his mouth with a flash of anger in his eyes, "I'm not saying that life with you is boring. Being with you are the times I feel most alive in my life. But...Seeing the world. That's amazing! Don't you think?"

Chris looked reluctantly at her, "Yeah. I want you to have the best experiences life has to offer, but I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Cassie touched his face with tenderness, "But I also wont have you wait around for me to come back one day. You deserve to have your own life. Without me wrecking your heart anymore than I have." Chris looked sadly down at her when a horn was blared outside, "That's me, I guess." She turned to the door to go, only to turn back and see Chris leaning against the wall. She quickly made her way back to him and pulled him in for a kiss. The passion in that one kiss held everything that neither of them were saying. Good-bye, you'll never be replaced, I'll miss you. All communicated in the pressure of their lips together. It lasted for so long, that Mickey pressed the horn again. twice. They finally broke apart and smiled at each other, "You know, just because we're not dating anymore, doesn't mean you can't buy me dinner when I get back."

She quickly ran away from him, leaving him in stunned silence, "Say good-bye to everyone for me." The door quickly shut and Cassie hurled into the backseat of Mickey's bug.

_**CLDW**_

Jackie heard the front door open from where she was in the kitchen, "Cassie? I was thinking, I've got that bottle of Amaretto from New Year's Eve, does he drink?" She walked into the family room, only to see Rose, who pointed to her and Cassie's room. Jackie followed her finger and saw Cassie packing. Cassie heard Jackie behind her and turned to look at her, "I was just wondering. Whether he drinks or not."

"I think he does?" She said questioningly as she continued shoving clothes into her bag.

"Don't go sweetheart," Jackie pleaded, "Please don't go.' Cassie just kept packing.

_**CLDW**_

"-Don't tell her I said that," Cassie heard Mickey tell the Doctor as she, Jackie, and Rose approached them.

"I'll get a proper job, I'll work weekends. So'll Rose. I'll pass my test. And if Jim comes round again, I'll say no, I really will," Jackie continued to plead as Rose followed silently.

"I'm not leaving because of you or Rose. I just want to travel and see the stars. I swear I'll be back."

"But it's dangerous," Rose said, having seen the Doctor's life first hand.

"But you only saw one side of his life, Rose," Cassie said as she handed a her suitcase to the Doctor, "There's a whole flip side to it. I get to go see different worlds."

"Got enough stuff?" The Doctor joked as he felt the weight of her suitcase.

"When I went the first time, it was because it was offered out of the blue. Now that I'm staying, I need a wardrobe." She went and led Rose over to Mickey, "You, know there's room on here for both of you."

"No chance," the Doctor called from the TARDIS, "I could do your sister, but if she comes he comes. And he's a liability, I'm not having him on board."

The Doctor was giving Mickey a funny look during his whole speech, giving Cassie an idea of why he was saying it. She turned and looked Mickey in the eye, "You may not think you can handle it now, but you will." She kissed him on the cheek then turned to Rose and did the same.

"You still can't promise me," Jackie piped up. Looking at the Doctor, "What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone, standing on some moon, a million light years away? How long do I wait then?" The Doctor looked awkwardly out of place before Cassie cut in.

"Mom, you and Rose are forgetting that he lives in a time machine. I can travel to the year fifty billion or thirty-two B.C. All over the universe and the world and be back in a minute. Just relax and I'll see you in a minute." She went over to kiss Jackie, then followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat on the captains seat in the console room with a light purple book sitting on her lap. Purple was her favorite colour and if she was going to be writing down her memories what better way to remember the book if it was your favorite colour. She opened the book and poised the pen she had found to write, but paused.

There was nothing a writer feared most than a blank page. What was she to write? Should she write about the adventures she'd already had? Or should she just write what was to come? And how should she write it? Specific words and phrases, or full out story mode? So many questions.

"Wha'cha doing?" A voiced asked behind her. She slammed the book shut, even though she had yet to write anything, and turned to see the Doctor standing on the plank that led to the rest of the TARDIS. He was holding an amalgamation of frayed wires and mechanical looking pieces of equipment.

"Nothing! Uh, nothing at all," she quickly sat on the book to hide it. If he saw it, even once, he would always want to know what was in it.

"What's that, then?" He came towards her, fiddling with the mass of machinery.

"It's just a book."

"Oh, alright," he made his way back up the gangplank. But then he paused, "While we're here, we should have that talk."

"And what talk would that be?" Cassie asked, avoiding his look. She was not looking forward to that particular talk.

"You know what talk," he came to sit beside her and watched her play with the book in her hand, "The one that was interrupted by the Slitheen ship crashing.

"Oh, that one."

"Yes that one," he pushed, "Why is it that you know so much about what's gonna happen?"

"I don't know!" Cassie lied, "Ever since I started travelling with you, I just get these...feelings."

"Feelings?"

"Like, the right word at the right time. Or an event that's coming."

"So, you know exactly what's gonna happen," the Doctor tried to gather enough information about the mystery surrounding her.

"Not all the time, and not about everything. Like, I only knew about the ID cards and Raxacoricofallapatorius. But I didn't know the Slitheen's plan til I put it all together."

"You knew about Jabe's death," the Doctor stated.

"Yes, I had a feeling about that. I couldn't be entirely sure, but it was a strong feeling," she stared at the floor in thought, "And I didn't know how to tell you about it. It was only our first trip and I could tell you still didn't trust me. Plus you'd think I was insane."

"I'd never think you were insane," he said as he watched her carefully, "Though I might scan you with my trusty screwdriver." She gave him a petulant look, "It wont hurt." She kept looking at him until she sighed dramatically and held her arms in a stance of surrender.

He took the screwdriver from his jacket and adjusted the settings. He pushed the button and pulsed the blue light all over her body. She stayed as stiff as a board.

When the scan completed, he brought the screwdriver back to him and looked at the results.

"Hmmm."

"Hmm bad, or hmm good?" Cassie asked.

"Hmm interesting," the Doctor answered back, "It seems that you're slightly psychic. Amplified by the background radiation of the TARDIS."

"And that means?"

"It means that it's normal for you to have feelings about things. Also explains why the psychic paper is blank to you. It can't mess with your mind."

Cassie silently let out a breath she had been holding in. She hadn't exactly wanted something to be wrong with her, but she wanted something to explain her memories. Other than the truth.

"You might be a little over whelmed by the feelings sometimes. You might want to find an outlet for them."

"Oh, I already had an idea for that. It's what the book's for," she held up the book in her hands, "I was just gonna write down all my feelings I have."

"Oh, good idea," he said absentmindedly, thinking he had figured out her secret, "I'll be in the scrap room, if you need me." His attention was now fully on the wires in his hands as he left the control room. Cassie sighed and opened the book again. She wrote the first thing that came into her mind.

_Dalek._

**A/N: I know this is so soon after my last update, and I know a lot of you are probably happy about it. But I was just so excited about writing this chapter. I got a lot of reviews, favorites, and follows from the last chapter. It was amazing! It's like I keep saying. More reviews = sooner chapters. Just saying.**

**So there we have it. The Doctor knows Cassie has 'feelings' about the future, so that will appease him for now. But have no fear, he will question Cassie's knowledge again. And the most of the secret will come out. So keep reading and remember, good things come to those who wait.**

**I'd also like to say (so I don't get accused of plagiarism) I got the idea of the companion being slightly psychic from RememberMeWhen's "The Companion Who Never Was". It's an amazing story! You guys should check it out if you haven't already.**

**So, ta ta for now. I'll see you guys soon. Review!**

**P.S. What did you guys think of my original scenes with Amy, Rory, Mels, and the other two OC's I created.  
**


	8. Chapter 8: Dalek

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

The TARDIS door creaked open as the Doctor peaked out and saw they were in some sort of darkened room, "What're we here for? I thought we were going to see Charlie Caplin?" Cassie called from inside the TARDIS. She was leaning over the scanner that, up until a few minutes ago, had been playing _The Gold Rush_. The picture had flicked over to a scan with a modulating signal.

"I don't know. Some sort of signal, drawing the TARDIS off course..." the Doctor called back. Cassie figured she wouldn't get any information from the coded signal and headed out of the machine. As soon as she entered the room she had an odd feeling. She looked around quickly and spotted tons of darkened items inside glass cases. She reached for her diary in her pocket but just groped at air. Oh, that's right she'd left it in her room because she'd fallen asleep writing in it. She'd just have to rely on the Doctor for this one.

"Where do you think we are?" She asked, going to examine one of the cases.

"Earth. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."

"Aw, yay. I'm about two states away from my home state. But, when are we?" She took another look around with the new perspective that she was back in America. It felt nice to be somewhere familiar. Even if it was an underground bunker.

"2012."

"That's so weird, I'd be 24 in my own time line. Oh," her face fell as she thought, "Well that's depressing.

"How so?" The Doctor asked as he wandered around.

"It makes me feel old."

"You want a contest?"

"Oh, God no. I'd lose every time," she laughed as she considered contending her measly 24 years of age to his 900 plus years. The Doctor threw a switch up and a bunch of bright light flooded the hallway.

"An alien museum," the Doctor exclaimed, "Someone's got a hobby, must've paid a fortune for all this. Chunks of meteorite. Moondust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship-"

"Oh, look," Cassie went over to a stuffed, three-fingered arm in one of the cases, "An old friend. Wonder what happened to this Slitheen?"

"Look at you." The Doctor walked over to what Cassie recognized as a Cyberman helmet from the old show, "That takes me back."

"Another old friend?"

"Old enemy. The stuff of nightmares, reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."

"I know the feeling. Could that be the signal?" Cassie wondered, getting the nagging feeling in her mind again.

"Naah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out. Calling for help..." Those words caused something to clicked in Cassie's mind. An emotion connected with her response centers and responded immediately. Her breathing picked up and her blinking increased. Her heart thudded in her chest and her palms were slick with newly produced sweat.

"Doctor, we should go..." she murmured, trying some deep breathing exorcizes to slow her breathing, "We should really go."

"Not getting cold feet are we?" He questioned as he leaned closer to the Cyberman mask.

"No. It's just one of my 'feelings'," her gaze kept flicking around in uncomfortable anxiety.

"So look in your diary," he answered absentmindedly.

"My diary's in the TARDIS," she said through her teeth. He was starting to really annoy her. Shouldn't he be taking her more seriously? It wasn't the entire truth, but it was something that gave a warning.

"And who's fault is that?"

"Someone's really in a bad mood today, aren't they," she sighed and looked over at the Doctor as he was about to touch the glass case, "Wait, Doctor stop-" But her voice was drowned out by a blaring siren going off and guards clothed in black pouring in through opening doors.

"You just had to touch it, didn't you?" Cassie growled as she put her hands up to the click of guns. The Doctor only grinned and put his hands up as well.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor and Cassie were lead into an office by a tall woman with curly blonde hair up in a pony-tail. Inside the room were two men. One old, who was sitting at the desk as the younger one showed him a device.

"And this is the last. Paid eight hundred thousand dollars for it," the younger one handed the small device over to the other man.

"What does it do?"

"You see these tubes," he indicated a part of the device, "On the side? Must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel. I think it's part of a spaceship engine."

"And it's unique, isn't it? The only one in the world," his eyes glazed over as he gazed down, almost lovingly, at the machine.

"I really shouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor piped up as the man was about to touch another part of the device.

"Keep it shut-" the woman almost barked at him.

"Really though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?" the young man asked.

"No, it just looks silly," Cassie rolled her eyes at the Doctor. Of course he would do that. The Doctor stepped forward slightly as if to take the device, but was stopped when the guards leaned forward to stop him. They were only waved off by the man behind the desk, "You just have to be delicate." He stroked it slightly and out came a shivering sound. It mystified Cassie to no end. It sounded like the movement of the planets aligning.

"It's a musical instrument?" The older man asked as mystified as Cassie.

"Yup. And a long way from home."

"Let me..." he quickly snatched the device away from the Doctor. It made a bunch of disconcerted sounds as he tried and failed to make music.

"I did say delicate," he said as Cassie lightly elbowed him, "Careful now, it reacts to the smallest fingerprint, it needs precision..."

"What, like this?" The man stroked the machine again and it made the same noise it had made with the Doctor.

"Very good," The Doctor praised slightly.

"Thank you."

"Quite an expert."

"As are you," the man suddenly, none to delicately, flung the machine to the side where it landed with an awkwardly pitched _thump_, "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor, and who are you?"

"Ohh, like you don't know. We're hidden away, underneath the salt deserts of Utah, with the most valuable collection of extraterrestrial artefacts in the world. And you just stumbled in by mistake!"

"Just about sums me up, yeah."

"Question is, how did you get in? Fifty-three floors down?" His gaze shifted from the Doctor over to Cassie, "With your little cat burglar accomplice. Quite a collector yourself, she's kind of pretty."

"She's gonna kick you in the bullocks if you keep calling her 'she'. And you didn't even answer our question. Who exactly are you?" Her attitude reached a new peak as her nerves were stretched thin because of the danger her brain would not let her remember and adding another rude man into the mix, other than the Doctor, was not helping in the slightest.

"Oh! Sounds American but judging by the slang she's English! Hey!" The man turned to the younger one, "Little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend." The younger man just brushed off his comment and went to address the Doctor and Cassie.

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten."

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Cassie sniped.

"Mr. Van Statten owns the internet."

"Don't be thick, no one can own the internet," Cassie argued back. The Doctor gave her a look to side. Her usual cheerful mood was gone and replaced with dark looks, snippy comments, and sarcasm. Maybe he should have listen to her about her 'feeling'. He just assumed she'd tried it to get to Charlie Chaplin quicker. Now he wasn't so sure.

"And lets just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten joked.

"So you're just about an expert in everything except the thing in your museum," the Doctor cut in. He was bothered not only by Cassie's attitude, but by this Van Statten saying she was the younger man's girlfriend, "Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge," Van Statten shot back. From what Cassie could see, all they needed to do was start making monkey sounds to add to the male dominance factor.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am!"

"And yet, I captured you," Van Statten jabbed, "Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me," the Doctor moved closer to Van Statten at the same time he moved closer to the Doctor.

"The Cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that...?"

"Like you don't know."

"Then show me."

"You want to see it?"

"Are you two gonna start banging chest to complete this male dominance shtick?" Cassie interjected when the Doctor and Van Statten were nose to nose. Both of the men ignored her and continued to stare at each other before Van Statten address his assistant.

"Goddard, inform the Cage, we're heading down. You, English," he pointed to the young man who Cassie still didn't know his name, "Look after the girl, go canoodle or spoon or whatever it is the British do. And you, Doctor-with-no-name-" He smiled as he began to lead the Doctor out, "Come and see my pet!"

All the other guards exited to follow them except for one that was stationed outside the door. "Well, come one. I'll take you to my office. I'm Adam by the way. And don't mind Van Statten," Adam, that now that Cassie looked closer; was more of a teenager, told her, "That's just his way of talking." He headed toward the door and Cassie followed.

"I'll canoodle him with my fist," Cassie muttered under her breath.

_**CLDW**_

"Sorry about the mess. Mr. Van Statten sort of leaves me to do my own thing," Adam said as he rearranged some broken machinery on the table, "So long as I deliver the goods. Like this..." He picked out a piece of broken metal and held it out to her, "What do you think that is?"

"Ummm, piece of melted shrapnel," Cassie said, even though she would have guessed a piece of a spaceship. She found it more amusing to see what he would say to her about this.

"Well, yeah, but I think, well, I'm almost certain, it's from the hull of a spacecraft," Cassie gave him a humoring look, "Thing is, it's all true, everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet. Alien, spacecraft, visitors to the Earth. They really exist."

"That's just...inspiring," Cassie said.

"I know it sounds incredible," Adam continued, not noticing the less than believable surprised look on Cassie's face, "But I honestly believe the whole universe is just teeming with life."

"I can't believe it. And you sit here and catalogue it all?"

"Best job in the world!"

"I think it could be better. I mean, what if you could actually see it? The swirling galaxies, the shining stars, the new and different planet. Just teeming with life." She smiled as Adam's eyes gained a far off look. As if just imagining the scenes she was describing right in front of him.

"I'd give anything," Adam whispered, "But I was born too soon, I don't think it's ever gonna happen. Not in our lifetimes."

"You never know what's coming," Cassie pointed out as she perused over the other odd machines in the room, "And there's all those people that say they were abducted and actually communicated with aliens."

"I think they're nutters." Cassie had to agree. Of course, some of them were probably telling the truth. But all the ones with tin foil helmets, and the gamma ray recorders were just insane.

"Yeah, me too. But you're from Britain, how d'you get here."

"I was headhunted. Van Statten has agents all over the world, looking for geniuses to recruit."

"Oh, excuse me Mr. Genius," Cassie joked as she looked at some loose wires.

"Sorry, but...yeah! Can't help it, I was born clever! When I was eight, I logged into the Pentagon defence system, nearly caused World War Three." He laughed as he told her about it.

"And that's funny?" Cassie questioned, a little chilled at the fact that he was laughing over a possible nuclear holocaust.

"You should've been there. Just to see them, running about, fantastic!"

"Knew you had some Doctor in you," Cassie muttered as she touched his arm.

"So who is he?" Adam asked as he went to stand by Cassie, "I mean, to you, I mean, are you and him, sort of...?" He fished around for the right words for his question. He definitely thought she was pretty. Plus, she'd ended up here, so she had to know something about what was here. Giving him someone to talk to about this.

"Oh, no. Just friends. There's a bit of an...age difference." Cassie sighed.

"Right, good."

"It's good because...?" Cassie questioned as she looked back at him.

"I dunno, it just is." He smiled at her and Cassie felt like she was missing something. She was never good with reading flirting signals. The only person she'd actually flirted with was Chris and he had to practically say, 'Hello! I like you! Will you go out with me?' So not catching on to Adam's mood she just stepped back from him.

"But don't you want to be downstairs? Sure, you've got broken guns and fused together capacitors. But there's a living creature down there. Don't you want to see it?" Cassie knew she had to get to the Doctor. And he was wherever that creature was.

"I did ask, but Van Statten keeps it to himself. Although..." he looked around in a goofy way (trying to show off to the pretty girl in his office), "If you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch through on the comms system."

"So patch away," Cassie said, unintentionally flirting back.

"It doesn't do much, the alien, it's weird, it's a bit useless, it's like this great big pepperpot-" The word pepperpot sparked something in Cassie's mind, but her feeling was sealed when the image of a Dalek and one of bunkers workers came on screen. The worker was holding a drill up against the Dalek's armor. The sound was on and a gravelly scream was coming through the speakers. Cassie froze and grabbed Adam's hand for the closest bit of comfort she could get.

"What are they doing," Adam muttered as he watched the guard. He was surprised at Cassie's forwardness with the hand holding. Mostly because she didn't seem to be affected by his flirting. But he squeezed it, thinking she was just horrified by what she was seeing.

When, in actuality, she was basically screaming at herself for not remembering that this was a Dalek episode. For not remembering her diary when coming out of the TARDIS. For not trying harder to get the Doctor out of there. The only outward emotion she could show was two words, "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God." She just kept repeating those words over and over again. Trying to at least get a grip on her sanity. But the more she said it, the more it didn't help. It got so bad that Adam had to start rubbing her arm. He didn't like the hysterics she was going into. So he decided he would stop it.

"I'll stop them," he told her and he let go of her hand and rushed out of the room. It took a couple minutes for Cassie to calm down by herself. After her last deep breath, she looked around her and didn't see Adam there. She thought back over the last few minutes and her eyes widened as she went over what Adam had said, "Wait, Adam!" She called as she dashed out of the room.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie caught up with Adam just as he entered some little alcove of a room connecting to the Cage. "Hold it right there-" a guard in front of the door said.

Adam just held up an ID card, "Level three access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten." The guard backed off as he and Cassie went through the door.

"'Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten!'" one of men mocked in an English accent, "Oh I say!"

_**CLDW**_

"Don't get to close," Adam warned as Cassie went to hide behind him. While he may have come down here, he just wanted to stop them torturing it. They had, now it was scary. Being stuck in a room with an unknown alien creature. He talked a good game, but inside he was just a scared little boy.

Cassie looked at the Dalek with interest from behind Adam's shoulder. She had watched every single episode with the Daleks in them and she knew how horrible they could be. But now, just looking at the robot like exterior (and not being able to remember anything else about the episode other than a Dalek was there), it just looked helpless. Lost. Like how she felt like sometimes on her travels with the Doctor. Maybe, since this was technically a different universe and time line, maybe the Dalek was different here. And that was when Cassie started toward the Dalek.

"Cassie, I said don't-" Adam insisted, but Cassie just waved him off.

"It's alien. And I would know a hell of a lot more about aliens than you. Now, shh!" she turned back toward the Dalek, paying no attention to Adam's hurt and confused look, "Hello? Is your hearing equipment working?" The eye stalk lifted slightly in recognition, "I'm sorry about what their doing to you. They don't know any better." The lens in the stalk focused more as it watched her, "Just tell me if you're in pain. My name's Cassie Lee. I know you've met my friend the Doctor. I'm sorry about him, too. He's still a bit broken..."

"Yes." The Dalek graveled out so suddenly it made Cassie flinch.

"Yes what?"

"I am in pain," it told her, "They torture me, but still they fear me. Do you fear me?"

"...I'm not sure," Cassie answered truthfully. And she wasn't. She'd grown up with these terrifying images of these heartless creatures that killed for the sake of killing. But the thing right in front of her seemed so helpless. So in need of care and love.

"I am dying," it told her.

"No, we could get some help..."

"I welcome death. But I am glad. That before I die. I met a human who might not be afraid."

"Can't we do anything for you?"

"Nothing. My race is dead. I shall die alone." Cassie swore that if she listened hard enough, she could almost hear tears in its voice.

"You don't have to be alone..." Her voice was shaking and tears were threatening to over flow from her eyes. She wanted to give comfort to it in any way she could. So she tentatively reached out a hand.

"Cassie, don't..." Adam called as he lurched forward, knowing what happened to the last person to touch it. But it was to late. Her hand laid against the Dalek's dome head and felt the cold metal. Until, in a flash of heat, it scalded her hand and she yanked it back. She backed away while looking at the orange hand-print she'd made on the head.

"Ge-ne-tic ma-ter-i-al ex-tra-po-lat-ed! I-ni-ti-ate cell-u-lar re-con-struc-tion!" It ground out with breaths between each syllable. The chains that were around its sucker arm and its gun arm snapped. Adam ran over to the computer console in the room.

"Um. 'Scuse me. Hello? Um, help? I think something might have gone a little bit wrong..." Cassie ran over to him.

"Ya, think!?" Cassie shrieked as another chain snapped. The man they had seen on the screen torturing the Dalek strode in with a pissed off but still not worried look on his face.

"What the hell have you done?" He glanced over at the Dalek and gained a smirking smile on his face, "Ohh, at last! Come alive, have you? Now watch it there, you with your egg whisk and sink plunger, oh that's scary, look at me shaking!"

"Is this a joke to you?" Cassie yelled. Disbelief written across her face. He only ignored her.

"Oh baby, don't tell me, after all this time, are you finally ready to talk?" He basically sauntered over to the table of tools and picked up his drill, "Well that's tough, cos I haven't finished with the screaming!" The Dalek only lifted his sucker arm to his face, "Whaddya gonna do?" He asked skeptically, "Sucker me to de-" He was cut off when his face was engulfed by the sucker.

"Come on!" Adam pulled Cassie's arm out of the room as she stared in horror as the manss head grew smaller and smaller. They ran to the security camera TV's that were surrounded by the other guards.

"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!" One of them hollered into compound-wide intercom system.

One of the TV's flashed and brought the image of Van Satten's office on screen with the Doctor just entering, "You've got to keep it in that cell!"

"Doctor, I'm sorry. It was all my fault!" Cassie called to him while continuing her mental tirade to herself. How could she be so stupid! She knew what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to prevent things like this! Now she would be responsible for all the deaths in the compound. All the soldiers, the scientists, maybe even the whole world if the Dalek managed to escape.

"I've sealed the compartment, it can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations-" one of the guards piped up.

"A Dalek is a genius – it can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat!" The Doctor informed them with anxiety on his face.

The guards took their positions around the door, taking the Doctor's advice and pushing Adam and Cassie behind them. The door hummed less than a minute later; clicked and slide open.

"Open fire!" The head guard shouted and bullets started flying. They bounced off the Dalek's armor harmlessly and hit the walls.

"Don't shoot! I want it unharmed!" Van Statten's voice could be heard over the intercom.

"Cassie, get out of there!" The Doctor yelled in fear of one of the stray bullets hitting her.

"De Maggio, take the civilians. Get them out alive, that's your job, got that?" One of the guards called.

"Understood, sir. You! With me!" De Maggio ushered Cassie and Adam out of the alcove and set them running along the hallway.

_**CLDW**_

They were running flat out. It didn't matter how much their lungs ached or their leg muscled burned; Cassie, Adam, and De Maggio knew that if they stopped they would run the risk of being obliterated from existence. But they did slow down when they came face to face with an armed guard in the hallway.

"Civilians! Let them through!" De Maggio shouted as the guards lowered their weapons and let them sprint through.

"Cover the north wall: Red Division, maintain suppressing fire along the perimeter, Blue Division, hold-" the guard's commands were cut off by the screech of a gun and it faded into nothingness. Cassie bit back a sob and continued sprinting.

_**CLDW**_

They entered a new part of the compound and went straight into a stairwell. And Adam started laughing.

"Stairs! Finally! Not like it has any legs!"

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio urged them. Cassie immediately flew up them and almost continued up them when Adam grabbed her hand and held her on the second flight up.

"Come one! We got to keep going!" She urged them.

"It's gonna be fine Cassie. It doesn't have legs," Adam assured her. The Dalek appeared at the bottom of the stair case and looked up at them, "Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs!" Adam taunted it.

"Adam," Cassie said lowly, "You might not want to do that."

"Now listen to me. I demand that you return to your Cage." De Maggio demanded as she pointed her gun at it, "If you want to negotiate, then I can guarantee that Mr. Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you, and maybe that was wrong, maybe we can help you. But people have died, and that stops, right now – the killing stops, have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?"

The Dalek just stared at them in silence. Then spoke, "El-ev-ate." And it began to levitate up the steps.

"I told you!" Cassie yelled as she dragged Adam up the steps. She noticed De Maggio staying put, "De Maggio, come on!"

"Adam, get her out of here!"

"No, you have to come – you can't stop it-" Cassie begged.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out, don't look back, just _run_." Adam forced her up the steps. They kept running, hearing De Maggio's gun being fired and the clang of bullets against metal. But it was silenced by another shriek of the Dalek's gun.

"I'm sorry," Cassie whispered.

_**CLDW**_

_'Okay, this is getting ridiculous'_ Cassie thought as they came across a giant warehouse type room with soldiers and scientists alike pointing guns at them.

"Hold your fire! You two, get out of there, clear the zone!" the Head guard yelled at them. She and Adam sprinted across the massive space and stopped right on the out skirts of the thrown together army and stopped. As soon as they turned, the Dalek glided into the space. Cassie watched it as it seemed to take in it's surroundings. Then it's eye stalk leveled out and focused in on something. Cassie had a chilling feeling that it was her the Dalek was looking at.

She was broken from her weird connection moment with the Dalek when Adam grabbed her arm and dragged her from the room.

"It was looking at me," Cassie muttered.

"It wants to slaughter us!" Adam countered.

"I know it was, right at me."

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all round," Adam said not understanding what she was talking about.

"I'm not exactly sure, but it's like...the thing inside. Looking directly at me." She shivered slightly at her own words.

_**CLDW**_

Van Statten, Goddard, and the Doctor were all gathered in his office. Still in shock over the slaughter they had witnessed. The Dalek had electrocuted a whole room of people with one shot. It was horrific.

"I think, perhaps, it's time for a new strategy. Maybe we should consider abandoning this place." Van Statten voiced as he kept staring at the screen.

"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out," Goddard pointed out.

"You said we could seal the Vault?" The Doctor questioned.

"It's designed as a bunker in the event of nuclear war," Van Statten explained, "Steel bulkheads close off the area-" He brought up a schematic of the bunker to show the Vault.

"That should contain it, till I can think of something better," the Doctor mused.

"We'd have to bypass the security codes, it would take a computer genius..." Goddard pointed out again.

"Good thing you've got me, then," Van Statten said.

"What, you want to help?" The Doctor asked surprised.

"I don't want to die," he countered, "Doctor. Simple as that. And no one knows this software better than me."

"Sir! It's the Dalek-" Goddard called as the screen flicked back on to show the Dalek just standing in the middle of the room filled with dead bodies and the fire sprinklers still going.

"I shall speak to the Doctor."

"You're gonna get rusty," he joked.

"I fed off the DNA of Cassie Lee. Extrapolating the biomass of a time-traveller regenerated me."

"So what's your next trick?"

"I have been searching for the Daleks." The Doctor all but laughed.

"Yeah, downloaded the internet, I saw, what did you find? Lots of naked bodies and people arguing about the revival of Buffy, did that help? Did you go in the chatrooms? Find a date? Gonna hook up with a coffee machine?"

"I searched for my species. I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes," it insisted.

"And?" The Doctor promted.

"Nothing," it all but screeched out, "Where shall I get my orders now?"

"So much for intelligence. You're just a soldier with no commands," The Doctor laughed.

"Then I shall follow the Primary Order. The Dalek Instinct. To destroy. To conquer!"

"But what _for_?" The Doctor practically shouted at it, "What's the _point_?! Don't you see, it's all gone, everything you were, everything you stood for. Gone."

"Then what should I do?" The Dalek asked almost in a pitiful way.

"...You're asking me?" The Doctor asked with surprise.

"You have...intelligence."

"All right," the Doctor said with glee, "If you want an order, then accept this one: kill yourself."

"The Daleks must survive!" It shrieked.

"The Daleks have failed! So finish the job, make the Daleks extinct. Rid the universe of your filth. Why don't you just DIE?!" The Doctor's voice grew with strength with every word. Until on the very last word he just lost it! He gave every single thing he'd been feeling since he had first laid eyes on the Dalek.

"You would make a good Dalek." The Doctor froze at its word and wanted nothing more than to smash the screen. But it just went black.

"Seal the vaults," the Doctor said quietly, breaking the silence.

_**CLDW**_

"I can leech power off the ground defences, feed it to the bulkheads," Van Statten smiled as he clicked away at the keys, "God, it's years since I had to work this fast!"

"Are you enjoying this?" The Doctor accused.

"Doctor," Goddard caught his attention, "She's still down there."

"...I know."

_**CLDW**_

As they were running, Cassie's phone rang. She fumbled to get it out of her pocket and pressed the answer button, "Not really a good time!"

"Where are you?" The Doctor's voice asked.

"Um, level 49-" she told him as they passed a giant number 49.

"You've got to keep moving! The Vault's being sealed off, up at level 46."

"Then stop them!" Cassie called, not really thinking logically.

"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait. And I can't help you. Now for God's sake, _run_!" He watched that illuminated blue dot that was them move.

"Adam, go faster, their sealing the vault at 46." Cassie called to the boy that was slightly in front of her.

"What!?" he called back to her in disbelief and panic.

"Move!" Cassie urged.

Goddard watched the Dalek's progress on another monitor, "The Dalek's right behind them!"

"Done it!" Van Statten announced, "We have power in the bulkheads!

Cassie and Adam ran through the door that exited the staircase and passed a huge 46, "We're on the floor, give us 2 seconds-"

"We haven't got 2 seconds. We're losing it – Doctor. I can't sustain the power, the whole system is failing, if you want to close the bulkheads, you've got to do it now-" Van Statten urged. The Doctor waited and listened to the rhythmic breathing of Cassie over the phone, "Doctor, we've got to close-" He was cut off by the Doctor's whisper.

"I'm sorry." And he stabbed the button that closed off the section.

Cassie and Adam were running side by side as the bulkhead began to lower. At this rate, the only one of them could get out and that was if the other pushed them. She glanced over at Adam who was just focused on the door and she made a decision, "Tell the Doctor I'm sorry."

"Wha-" His question was cut off by Cassie pushing him forward, causing him to slide under the closing bulkhead. Once he got over the initial shock he looked back under the door, "Come on, Cassie!"

"The Vault is sealed," Van Statten informed them. The Doctor clutched at the phone in his hand. Desperately calling into it.

"Cassie? Where are you? Cassie, did you make it?"

Cassie leaned against the closed bulkhead on the wrong side with tears in her eyes, "You know, my cross country coach always was a little disappointed at my speed." She turned slowly and watched the Dalek roll closer, "Doctor, I want you to know, I don't blame you for anything. No matter how much my mom or sister scream at you that it is, it's not. I made the decision to come and I'm so glad I did. And also, find someone else to travel with. You're rubbish without someone." The Dalek came to a stop a few feet in front of her, "Well, Doctor, good-bye."

"Exterminate," The Dalek cried and Cassie's scream sizzled over the phone line before it cut off. The Doctor looked dejectedly at the silent phone.

"I killed her."

"... I'm sorry," Van Statten said. The Doctor turned to look at him slowly.

"I said I'd protect her. She was only here, because of me, no matter what she said. And you're _sorry_...? I could have killed the Dalek inside its cell. But you stopped me." He turned and advanced on the millionaire slowly. His temper was calculated, the calm before the storm.

"It was the prize of my collection..." Van Statten defended. And the Doctor just lost it.

"Your collection?! Was it worth it? Worth all those men dying? Worth Cassie?!" Van Statten backed away slowly, "Let me tell you, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore. To be part of something greater-"

"Exactly!" Van Statten insisted, "I want to touch the stars-"

"You just want to drag the stars down. Stick them underground. Beneath tons of sand. And dirt. And label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get." He lost steam after and seemed to become hollow, "And you took her down with you. She was seventeen years old."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie opened her eyes and saw her broken phone on the ground. She raised her head a bit and saw the scorch mark on the door where the Dalek's weapon had hit. She raised her head fully and stared at the Dalek's eye stalk.

"Do it," Cassie stated coldly.

"...Cassie Lee." It whispered her name almost in awe.

"What are you playing at?"

"I am armed, I will kill. It is my purpose."

"Just kill me. Everyone else is dead because of you."

"They are dead because of us." It's statement was like a piercing arrow to her heart. But she just chuckled humorlessly.

"You think I don't know that? Just do it! DO IT! What are you waiting for?"

"I feel your fear." It stated uneasily.

"What did you expect with pointing a gun at me?"

"Daleks do not fear. Must not fear!" He sent a two shot round that missed her on either side of her, "You gave me life. What else have you given me? I have been contaminated."

_**CLDW**_

Everyone's attention in Van Statten's office was brought to the door as Adam ran in. And the Doctor's rage gained a second wind, "And you were fast on your feet, running away, leaving Cassie behind-"

"We were caught up until Cassie threw me forward under the door. And I'm not the one who sealed the Vault!" He shot back at the Doctor. The Doctor was speechless at the man actually fighting back. But was cut off from a come back when the screen came back to life. Showing the Dalek with Cassie standing a few feet from it, with its gun at her back.

"Open the bulkhead. Or Cassie Lee dies."

"You're alive..." The Doctor whispered as he kept his eyes on Cassie the entire time. A half smile formed on his face before it dropped.

"Never getting rid of me," Cassie strained.

"I thought you were dead," He stated.

"Still got a gun to my back."

"Cassie Lee..."

"Open the bulkhead!" The Dalek cut in on their anxiety ridden joking.

"Don't, Doctor!"

"What use are emotions? If you will not save the woman you love?"

_'What?!' _Cassie thought, _'What is this broken down pepperpot talking about! The Doctor doesn't love me. I'm just a friend! Someone there so he doesn't have to be lonely anymore. He'll take another companion after me. I'm not the first and I'll certainly not the last. And I would never expect him to do otherwise. He deserves to be happy whether it's with me or someone else. I'm just happy to be offered the ride. But love! No! Can't be! Could it?'_ As all the thoughts ran through her head, the Doctor kept agonized eyes on her through the screen.

He looked over at Van Statten who looked like he was about to say something. But he cut him off.

"I killed her once. I can't do it again." And he pressed the button that allowed the door to slide open. The Dalek and Cassie went through along the hallway and into the lift.

"Please don't kill them," Cassie begged while they were in the lift, "You didn't kill me." The Dalek twitched a little in agitation before speaking.

"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? _What am I?_"

_**CLDW**_

The lift door finally opened into Van Statten's office "Just don't move," Cassie instructed to Goddard and Van Satten, "It's questioning itself. There's no telling what it'll do." The Dalek glided toward Van Statten who backed away in fear.

"You. Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?"

"I wanted to help you, I just – I don't know, I was trying to help," he stammered out, "I thought, if we could get through to you, if we could mend you, that's all I wanted, I just wanted you better, oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I swear, I just wanted you to talk-" He voice kept getting higher and higher til it seemed to be at least three octaves higher than normal.

"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! _Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"_

"No, please!" Cassie rushed forward in between Van Statten and its gun, "Please don't kill him. The eye stalk of the Dalek swiveled towards her, "You don't need to kill anymore. There has to be something else you want. Not just killing. Anything else."

"I want...freedom," the Dalek rattled out.

_**CLDW**_

The Dalek and Cassie were walking along the last level of the compound before the surface. The Dalek aimed it's gun upwards and fired. Making a hole in the ceiling, allowing sunlight to shine in.

"There you are," Cassie said awkwardly, "The outside world. Never thought I'd see it again. Or feel the sun."

"How does it...feel...?" The Dalek asked, sounding confused. Cassie watched in silent awe and disgust as the Dalek opened it's casing to reveal the mutated creature inside. It was wrinkly and tan with veins popping out everywhere. Only one eye, glowing in sunlight, was on its body and its brain was showing from the top of head. It's long tentacles hung down from it's body and disappeared into the casing. Cassie could see wires fused into the flesh bringing in air and nourishment while controlling the suit. Some people may think this sight would be horrific. But Cassie found it strangely calming and a little bit...cute? Before she could think more on it, she heard the click of a safety being pulled behind her. She turned and saw the Doctor standing there with a huge gun pointed at the Dalek.

"Get out of the way."

"Put down the gun and I will." She stated.

"Cassie, get out of the way, right _now_."

"I can't let you do this."

"That thing's killed hundreds of people."

"So have you, and right now you're one pointing the gun right at me." Cassie pointed out with a slight ache in her heart for having him remember all those times. From the look on his face, it had hit home.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home. My people. I've got nothing left." The Doctor yelled.

"And that doesn't just make me feel so good. But that's not the point. I know it hurts, but you've got to stop this. Just look at it." She stepped aside to show what she had been covering. The Doctor looked at the open Dalek casing with confusion.

"What's it doing...?"

"It just wants the sunlight. It wants to feel."

"But it can't..."

"It didn't kill me or Van Statten. It's changing. But if you use the gun, you'll change too. And I don't know what you'll change into." The Doctor looked down at the gun in his hands then up to the Dalek and then to her.

"I couldn't...I wasn't...Ohh, Cassie. They're all dead." Cassie was silent, not knowing how to comfort him.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked it's voice a little less gravelly.

"I don't know," the Doctor answered truthfully.

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that. Cassie did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA, you're mutating."

"Into what...?"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"Isn't that good?" Cassie questioned.

"Not for a Dalek." The Doctor answered.

"I can...feel. So many ideas. So much darkness. Cassie. You contaminated me. Now give me orders. Order me to die."

"Why do you want that?" Cassie asked as her breath hitched in her throat.

"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you! Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!" The Dalek desperately shrieked. Cassie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I order you to destroy yourself."

"Cassie Lee, before in the cell, when I asked you if you were afraid in you said you were not sure." the Dalek recapped.

"Yes, I did."

"Are you afraid now?"

"Yes. But not of you. For you."

"So am I," it whispered out, "Exterminate." The Dalek began to glow as it was lifted up into the air. The Doctor ran forward and dragged Cassie back. A force field shaped like a sphere surrounded the Dalek and its little balls on the lower half of its armor separated from it and outlined the field.

"Get down," the Doctor yelled and forced Cassie to the ground. A second later the Dalek exploded.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor walked up to the TARDIS, parked in the same spot, and patted it, "Little piece of home. Better than nothing."

"So that ends the Time War." Cassie mused as she looked back through the museum.

"I'm the only one left," he looked down at the floor, "I win. How about that?"

"A Dalek survived. Maybe some Time Lords did, too."

"I'd know. In here," he tapped his head, "Feels like there's no one."

"Then I guess my stay is definite," she said with a smile.

"Yeah," he smiled back at her as they shared a moment. But that moment was broken when Adam ran in.

"We'd better get out, Van Statten's disappeared, they're closing down the base, Goddard says they're gonna fill it in with cement. Like it never existed!"

"Good, let the human race be ignorant for a few more years," Cassie mumbled.

"I'll have to go back home," he looked at Cassie with intrigue that made the Doctor get a weird pit in his stomach. His eyes narrowed at Adam and decided to keep a closer eye on him.

"Better hurry up then, next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours."

"You know Doctor, Adam was saying that he always wanted to see the stars," Cassie hinted slightly.

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then."

"He doesn't have anyone. Plus he helped."

"He left you down there!"

"I made him leave me! I'm the one that pushed him forward."

"What are you on about?" Adam cut in, "We've got to leave, come on!"

"Plus, he is a bit pretty," the Doctor pointed out with a cross between a smirk and a scowl.

"Is he now?" Cassie asked sarcastically. Like she cared about that. Chris was the only one she thought about like that. The Doctor looked into her eyes and didn't see the little light there that usually went along with thinking a boy is cute. And he shrugged.

"On your own head..." He and Cassie walked right into the TARDIS while Cassie told Adam to come with her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Adam protested, "...She said cement, she wasn't joking, we're gonna get sealed in! Cassie? Doctor? What are you doing, standing inside a box? Cassie?" He finally gave in and followed them into the TARDIS, "Oh...My..." And then the TARDIS dematerialized.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor found Cassie at the door of the TARDIS with the doors opened and her feet dangling over the edge; watching the stars, with her diary in her hands. He'd left Adam to find a room, seeing as Cassie wanted him to stay for a bit.

"What's up?" He went to stand behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's all right here," she indicated the book, "Everything. The Dalek. Van Satten. Goddard. Adam. Even the a rough number of how many people died. I just keep thinking about what if I'd taken the diary with me." She sighed and looked at one of the comets shooting by.

"Give me the book," he went to grab it, but Cassie held it out of his reach.

"You know you can't see into the book," Cassie told him.

"But if it's gonna make you feel like this way, you shouldn't have it. Plus I wasn't gonna read it. I was gonna play a little target practice with it at the comet." Cassie laughed at his insanity.

"But I could have stopped it all," she insisted after her laughter, "I could've warned you and you could've stopped them before anything happened and then all those soldiers wouldn't be dead and they could've gone home to their wives and kids and their little puggle dog named Rory that was only 8 months old..."

Her babbled was silenced by the Doctor, who had sat down beside her mid-babble, putting his hand over her mouth. She looked at him with confused eyes. He released her mouth and looked at her with an amused look.

"I'm babbling aren't I?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor confirmed.

"But it's just if I had-"

"Hey, shh shh shh shh," the Doctor put his finger on her lip to silence her again, "None of this was your fault."

"But what's the point of...these 'feelings' if they don't help," she protested.

"Somethings are just meant to happen," the Doctor told her, "Somethings are fixed. Something have to happen. Not everything can be changed."

"But somethings can," Cassie said absentmindedly, watching the stars in the distance. The Doctor remained silent, thinking over what Cassie had said.

"A puggle named Rory?" he asked as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Oh shut up!" Cassie said as she shoved him to the side with a laugh.

**A/N: Hi everyone! Did you guys like the chapter. I know it didn't come as soon as the other two chapters, but that was because that was a two-parter and I'm trying not to leave you guys hanging for to long on an unfinished ending. But this chapter stands by itself. And it's the first time we see the Daleks in the new series. Yay!**

**I have to say that I actually felt sorry for the Dalek in this episode. I mean, all it wanted to do was to get back to it's own people. Granted that it would kill and destroy when it got there, but I just felt like it was so lost. And aren't we all a little ****lost in life? We all have our good days and bad days. Why can't a Dalek? Sorry, getting a little philosophical here. And back to the episode. I know I didn't really put much use of Cassie's diary in this one, but I thought that if she did read all about it, then it wouldn't be much of an episode. She'd just tell the Doctor, he'd get super Oncoming Storm-ish and just obliterate the Dalek. Not much fun. So The details will be very vague from know with the entries in her diary. Not giving away major plot points, but things that will change from the episode. **

**I do have to say that the most exciting thing about my story right now is my new cover! It's been up for a couple weeks now and it's just amazing! I learned how to do it from instructions from LizzieXX. That girl seriously writes the best DW fan fiction. She's got like three OC stories going on at once. They are just awesome. So go visit her if you haven't, though you probably have. But seriously, leave a comment about the cover or the story. Opinions are welcome and I will take into consideration all thoughts. **

**You can thank a round of sickness for this chapter being up now. With school, play, and having to do a science fair project, life's been hectic. But enough of my ramblings. I have to go study for a history test. Ugh :-(**

**See ya! **


	9. Chapter 9: The Long Game

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

The blue exterior of the TARDIS materialized in a closed off room of unknown origins. The Doctor and Cassie quickly stepped out and shut the door behind them. Cassie had practically begged the Doctor to help try and impress Adam on his first trip. He'd only given in because he'd thought about the look on Adam's face when he was not only in different time and place, but a girl that was younger than him knew more about the place than he did.

"So, it's two hundred thousand, and it's a spaceship," he looked around carefully then amended his statement, "No, wait a minute, a space station, er," he glanced round again and spotted a door, "Go and try that gate over there. Off you go." Cassie giggled and went to knock on the door.

"Two hundred thousand, right?" She checked.

"Two hundred thousand."

"Adam?" She knocked louder on the door and it inched open, "Come and see."

Adam slowly emerged from what he deemed as the safest thing right now and looked around cautiously. Cassie's smile grew even wider as his eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped almost to the floor, "Oh, my God."

"You'll get use to it," Cassie assured him as she rubbed his arm while he gazed around dizzily.

"Where are we...?" he breathed.

"Let's find out shall we," Cassie said as she gave the Doctor a mischievous smile, "If you look at the structure and the architecture, I'd guess one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand-ish. And if you listen close enough," she paused to give Adam a chance to try and listen to something that wasn't really there, "You can here engines going, so maybe a spaceship. But if you pay close attention to how the ground feels, where moving slightly, but not enough for a spaceship. So, I'd say a space station." She began to unzip her sweatshirt to reveal a black halter top paired with green capri pants, "It's a little hot in here though," she made sure to take her diary out of her sweatshirt pocket and moved into the back pocket of her pants. She was not going to be without that for a while, "But with that aside, lets try that door over there." She pointed toward the door the Doctor had indicated before and started forward, followed by an amazed Adam and a grinning Doctor.

Cassie pressed a button and the door slide open to reveal a small staircase that led up to a platform; which she promptly climbed. The first thing she saw coming up was a giant window with a spacial view of Earth. She smiled and silently thanked whoever was listening for this moment to show Adam. The tapping of feet behind her announced Adam and the Doctor coming to stand next to her, "So this is..." She trailed off as she took in all the new bright technological lights on the surface. Actual cities could be seen from orbit and spaceships whizzed by. She sighed inwardly at the new sights she got to see in the TARDIS, "I'll let the Doctor explain it."

The Doctor smiled to himself. He had enjoyed Cassie's little performance at the beginning. It was funny and refreshing to hear her talk about the specifics of the place they were at. He had no doubt that if she really studied and had him as a tutor, she could know this by heart and be able explain it to other people without him prompting her. But he also loved it when they encountered something in their travels that sent her straight into speechlessness. Sometimes it felt like he'd seen almost everything in this universe. But when someone else said that something old and tired was beautiful and new, he could see it. He could see the uniqueness, the beauty, the brilliance. And it was fantastic.

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," He told them after Cassie had fallen silent, "And there it is. Planet Earth, at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety-six billion, the hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle." Cassie and the Doctor continued staring at the Earth-rise while they heard a thud behind them. Adam had fainted from all the excitement. "He's your boyfriend," the Doctor teased her.

"Even if that was a possibility, he's not anymore."

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor ushered Cassie and Adam back into the main part of the station, "You're gonna like this. Fantastic period of history, the Human Race at its most intelligent. Culture! Art! Politics! This era, it's got fine cuisine, the great philosophers, good manners, the works-" He was cut off by a huge klaxon sounding and a bunch of shutters opening to reveal what appeared to be fast food joints. A bunch of people from all different walks of life poured into the room and began forming queues in front of them. Yells and cat calls filled the air, mixing together and forming one big ball of noise where only a few voices stood out.

"One at a time, what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajato, stop pushing, oi – you, mate, stop pushing, get back, I said, back-" A shop keeper called out into the people surrounding his stall. Cassie looked around amused, it didn't seem that much different than a food court at the mall in her time. She looked over at the men next to her. Adam had a look on his face that said he didn't even know where to look and that he might just faint again. The Doctor just observed everything with frown.

"Digging the fine cuisine vibe," she sniffed around and made a gagging noise, "Oh, ew. And the smell."

"My watch must be wrong," the Doctor looked down at his wrist and tapped the watch on it.

"Just finding all kinds uses for that watch," Cassie quipped as she giggled. The Doctor just ignored her.

"No, s'fine. Weird."

"This is what happens when someone gets to cocky about his history," Cassie said playfully.

"My history's perfect."

"My eyes disagree with your theory," Cassie countered.

"What is this place, a factory..." Adam tried to reason through their argument.

"Don't know. Could be, not everything can be perfect. But they don't look very protected for factory workers." Cassie looked around and saw an awful lot of tube and crop tops. She could understand with the heat bearing down on her.

"But...they're all human, what about the million planets, the million species, where are they?" Adam asked.

"Good question. Actually, that is a good question." All his worries seemed to fade away as he continued to talk, "Adam, me old big fella, you must be starving!"

"No," Adam said as he rubbed his stomach, "I think I'm just a bit timesick-"

"Oh, trust me," Cassie told him, "You need food. I was nauseous all through my first trip. But after wards we got some chips and I felt much better. Even if my wallet was a little lighter."

"What money would I have? I was barely able to get you home! How am I supposed to carry money for the right the time period?" The Doctor defended before he turned to a man working one of the stalls, "Oi mate, how much for a krunkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart, join the queue!" He answered gruffly before turning back to his customers. Before Cassie could open her mouth, the Doctor cut her off.

"I'll pay, don't worry. I'll pay." He swiftly went over to a panel in the wall that had a touch screen on it, "Let's try this cashpoint..." He whired his sonic at it and it produced a grey metal pencil-like thing, "There you go," he put the stick in Adam's hand while pocketing his sonic, "Pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets."

"How does it work?" Adam asked as he examined.

"Go and find it out, stop nagging me!" The Doctor shoved Adam toward the stalls and nudged Cassie toward him, too, "Thing is, Adam – time travel, it's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook, you've got to throw yourself into it, eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers, or is that just me?"

"That's just you," Cassie called, "And I was there when Marie Antoinette got the wrong idea about you."

"Oi! We agreed never to speak of that again. Stop asking questions, and do it!" The Doctor walked a way before turning back, "Your first date."

"You know I did learn something about smacks from my mom, mister," Cassie called back to him, "And I know you remember it." She walked off giggling as the Doctor absentmindedly rubbed his cheek before heading toward two woman on the floor.

Adam had already joined a queue and was reading over the choices for meals to Cassie. She looked out over the crowds before she felt something in the back of her mind. She pulled her diary out of her back pocket and flipped past the pages about the Dalek. There were only a few words written on these pages.

_The walls are made of gold._

_Frozen reporters._

_Adam has a whole in his head._

_Cameras._

At reading the last word, Cassie glanced up and watched one of the cameras hooked up in corner of the room. It zoomed in closer as she watched it and it was pointed right at her.

_**CLDW**_

A man stood in the middle of a control center. He had white hair but only appeared to be in his thirties and was dressed smartly in a black suit that contrasted greatly with his almost deathly pale skin. He watched a wall of security TV's with a hand stroking his goatee in thought. He leaned in over the shoulder of man that had ice forming in hair and had the obvious look of a corpse. The man with the white hair paid him no mind as he focused in on two screens.

One showing the Doctor and two women talking in a tight little group. The other showing Cassie and Adam at the head of a line, ordering food. With Cassie staring directly at the camera. The man snorted as he sized up Cassie. It had been a while since anyone seemed curious with the workings of Satellite Five.

He swiftly turned his attention from the curious girl to the trio talking and zeroed in on them. "Something... is wrong," he voiced to no one in particular, "Something fictional." The screen did a close up the three people when the man tapped the screen, "Those people. Security check. Go deep."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie walked over to where Adam was sitting with a drink in her hand and plopped down as she gazed around room absentmindedly, trying to make sense of the words in her diary. She'd looked past the present page and had found words that had to be for different episodes. Except for the Dalek entry, all her other writings seemed vague and none descriptive. Almost no help at all. Sometimes she could just strangle herself.

"This place," Adam began, pulling Cassie out of her internal glare off at herself, "D'you think it's got, like... artificial gravity?" Cassie laughed at Adam. He was so new to all this. It was refreshing to have a new perspective on the travels than just the Doctor's. It gave her the same feeling the Doctor said traveling with companions gave him. But she was still wary of Adam ever since what she'd read in her diary. It just seemed wrong.

"Got to have," she answered as she played with her straw, "Otherwise we'd be floating to the ceiling."

"Oh blimey. 'Scuse me." He said as she put his head down on the table, seeming to have some kind of panic attack. It was odd really. Cassie hadn't had anything like that on her trips. Sure, she'd talked to a plant but that wasn't weird. Right? "One flick of a switch, and gravity's gone. Kaput! It's... strawberry jam on the tramac, sort of thing."

Cassie sighed as she turned her full body to face him, "I told you needed something to eat. Try this," she held out the drink whose straw she'd been fiddling with to him, "I think he called it a 'zaffic'. I like it, it's kind of like a slushie."

"What flavor?" Adam asked warily as he eyed the drink. Cassie took a sip to taste it, smacking her lips together to actually get the flavor and not just feel the cold of the ice.

"I think it's... beef," she laughed as she held it out to him, knowing it wouldn't help at all.

"Oh my God," he whined as he laughed. She took another sip of it and sat back to stare around as Adam stared at her. "Look at you. We come all this way, and you just stroll through it, like it's nothing."

Cassie just shrugged her shoulders. Obviously she was use to it from having watched the show for all those years, but all this technical stuff he was spouting off was something she just didn't think about. Why spoil the moment worrying about if you're gonna die in the next minute? "I'm just use to it, I guess. Plus, I'm a bit stupid. Don't think about half the stuff you've been talking about."

"But it's like everything's gone," Adam continued almost despondently, "Home and family and... everything." Cassie eyed him a minute waiting for him say something to rebuke her last statement. When he didn't she tried to brush it off but it still stung a little. She took out her phone and tapped to the dialing screen.

"This'll help. The Doctor upgraded my phone a little. You got a mom and dad at home?"

"Yeah, they live just outside Manchester." He replied back, confused.

"Call them," Cassie told him, not having the faintest idea where Manchester was.

"But that's one hundred and ninety-eight thousand years ago," Adam protested cockily. As if he knew more than her about this. Cassie just rolled her eyes. Men.

"Seriously, try it out." Adam took the phone hesitantly and looked at the buttons on the mobile, his thumb poised over them.

"Is there a code for planet Earth?" He asked curiously.

"Dial," Cassie commanded with a smirk. He smiled back at her as he began to type in the number. He held the phone to his ear daintily, as if it would shock him, and listened to the ringing tone. Finally their answering machine picked up.

"Sorry, we're not in, so leave a message, bye!" Cassie heard a perky, female voice recording answer. It was followed by a sharp beep and Adam just sitting there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Cassie had to nudge him to get him to talk.

"Um, hello. It's me, um, I can't believe you're out! I've just, um, sort of gone travelling... I met these people, and we're travelling together, no, that makes it sound weird, well, it is a bit weird, I just mean-" Cassie silently giggled at Adam stumbling over ways to explain what they were exactly doing, "I don't know what I mean, but I'm fine. I'll call again later. Love you. Bye." He hit the end call button and stared at the phone for a second before he burst out laughing, "That's just so mad!"

"'Love you, bye?'" Cassie asked teasingly.

"Oh shut up," Adam laughed before he quieted in thought, "But that means you've got constant contact with back home. You could tell them anything."

"Just listen in on a conversation with my mom and sister. They always panic and think I'm floating around in space after falling out the TARDIS," Cassie joked already kind of knowing what Adam was talking about.

"No, but you could _use _it. Think about it! Like, my dad's got arthritis, but right now, two hundred thousand years later, they must have cured it. I could find it out and phone him up." Adam's eyes were alight with the prospects of what he was suggesting and Cassie knew his plans went well beyond helping his dad.

"But you can't," Cassie insisted.

"Says who?"

"Me and the Doctor."

"What makes you the judge of that? And did he actually say it? Is that what he actually said, in words?" Adam countered.

"No. Because that rule goes without saying. Even in the comics."

"Try explaining that to my dad," Adam practically sneered as he played the guilt card. But Cassie would have none of that.

"Ok, boy genius. I know where you come from you're clever and smart and you almost started World War Three. But here, it's not all fun and games and sparkly stars and finding out what the future can do for the past. It's messy and dangerous and if you change even one single detail, the whole thing could blow up in you're face. You could give a weapon of mass destruction to the idiots who run our time and they could use it to cause an apocalypse. Causing the future where the weapon came from to never have existed, causing a paradox that could rip apart the entire universe. While the Doctor may save it again and again. He will not appreciate cleaning up your mess. I'm sorry your dad has arthritis and is in pain. But that is just a hindrance of our time. Him having it will help our scientists research a cure for it and get to where it is now. So please, keep your head down, listen to the Doctor, and stop thinking you're the smartest person in the room." The klaxon brought Cassie and Adam out of their own little world and brought their attention to the scrambling of people around them throwing out half finished food and packing up tables and chairs, with them right in the middle of it looking like idiots.

"Oi, Mutt and Jeff!" The Doctor called from one side of the room with two women, "This way!" Cassie rolled her eyes at his demand as she stood up and went over to him. Adam stayed put a minute longer as he pocketed Cassie's phone then ran after them. When he reached them, the Doctor went on to introduce the two women as Cathica and Suki.

_**CLDW**_

The man watched the quintet file through the door while waiting for the results of the security search. "_Security scan cleared_." A computers voice announced as the man frowned.

"No, something's wrong. I can taste it. A tiny little shift in the information. Someone down there shouldn't be here. Double check," he told one corpse, "Triple check," he told another, "Follow them."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie, the Doctor, and Adam found themselves in a relatively white room that seemed to be lit behind the panels of the wall. There was a machine in the room that had a reclined chair in the middle of it with eight stations around it with hand prints on them. Cathica stood next to the chair and addressed the workers sitting around her with their legs crossed. "Now everyone behave, we have a management inspection," she gave the trio by the door a fake smile before speaking the Doctor, "How d'you want it, by the book?"

"Right from scratch, thanks?" The Doctor nodded wanting her to proceed.

"Okay. So!" Cathica exclaimed, getting to work, "Ladies, gentlemen, mulitsex, undecided or robot, my name's Cathica Santini Khadeni, that's Cathica with a C," she looked back over at the Doctor, "Just in case you want to write to Floor 500, praising me. And please do. Now, you're free to ask questions – the process of newsgathering must be open and honest and beyond bias, that's company policy." She was cut off from the rest of her speech by the other woman they had met.

"Actually, it's the law," she said with a laugh.

"Thank you, Suki," Cathica practically snapped at her. She composed herself from her glare and went back to her professional persona, "The info-spike will begin in thirty seconds."

Cassie didn't know what exactly an info-spike was, but she had a slight inkling that it had something to do with the 'hole in the head' comment in her diary. She watched steadily as Cathica hit a button on the chair that caused the lights to brighten. The eight people laid their hands flat on the hand indents in front of them. As Cathica prepared for the next stage, the Doctor, Cassie, and Adam huddled together.

"Think of it, even in your time," the Doctor began to explain, "The amount of news in the world is massive – a flood in China, an assassination in Brazil, a skateboarding duck in Aberdeen-"

"Cute," Cassie mocked at his last bit of 'news', "And you said that Earth was the hub of a galactic empire. So all that news from all those planets..."

"Exactly. Tons of it." The Doctor agreed, "How d'you gather it together? The info-spike." He pointed towards the chair as Cathica sat down in it.

"Keep it calm, now. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go," the chair leaned back and Cathica almost looked like she was nervous, "And, engage safety." She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a hole in her head opened. It had four prongs that made up the doors and had a clear view to her brain. It was fascinating. Cassie tried to get a better look with curiosity. Adam looked with disbelief and a little disgust. The Doctor looked curious also but was frowning through his intrigue, "And three, and two, and...spike!" A bolt of energy struck from the ceiling and nestled into the hole in Cathica's head. Her eyes turned blank as she stared ahead with indifference. The eight people around her bowed their heads.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet and they get packaged inside her head," the Doctor explained as it grew silent in the room, "She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

"She has to forget it," Cassie mused as she watched the movement of the spike, "Otherwise her head would explode or she would be a genius."

"Exactly, she clicks her fingers to close it and she forgets instantly."

"What about the people 'round the edge," Adam asked, still a little dazed from the brain port in Cathica's head.

"They've all got little chips in their heads," the Doctor continued, "Connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power." He almost looked impressed but the expression was marred by a frown as he continued to glare at Cathica and her brain port. With the Doctor not saying anything else, Cassie turned her attention to Adam who looked a bit green. She may have been stern with him before, but she still cared about him. He'd been really sweet to her in Van Statten's bunker.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, this technology is amazing." His expression told Cassie that he wanted to go and examine the tech more closely.

"This technology's wrong." The Doctor cut in with a forceful tone.

"Something the matter," Cassie asked with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor cheered with a smile. He didn't have time to elaborate when the whole process came to a halt as Suki pulled her hands away from the hand prints as if she were shocked. All the others pulled their hands back abruptly as the info-spike stopped and Cathica's port closed. She looked dazed for a minute than immediately went in chastise the problem.

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

"Sorry," Suki whispered, cradling her hands and looking over the hand print, "Must've been a glitch." Cathica just rolled her eyes at the woman. Cassie was starting to get the idea that Cathica really didn't like Suki at all and only put up with her because she was assigned to her journalist team. She didn't really understand why. Suki seamed nice enough, if a bit slow. But Cassie had a weird feeling that Suki was just putting on an act for the rest of the world.

Casise's thoughts were cut off when sharp '_bing!'_ was heard in the room and one wall became a video screen.

"_Promotion!_" A computer voice called through the room. All the journalists stood up anxiously. All excited to see if it was for them. Cathica most of all.

"Come on. This is it. Come on. Oh, God make it me," she begged as she wrung her hands together, "Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name."

"_Promotion for-_" the computer paused and everyone held their breath, "_Suki MacRae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor 500._" All the reporters except for Cathica and Suki immediately looked depressed. Suki was overjoyed, while Cathica's nostrils flared.

"I don't believe it. Floor 500!" Suki breathed out looking like everything around her was surreal.

"How the hell did you manage that?!" Cathica shouted, "I'm above you!"

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance and they've said yes." Suki was oblivious to Cathica's mood as she continued staring at the screen that held her promotion on it.

"That's not fair," Cathica whined, "I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years."

"What's Floor 500," Adam asked confused.

"The walls are made of gold," the Doctor and Cassie said together. The Doctor gave her an odd look. She hadn't been there when Cathica had said that.

Cassie mouthed the word 'Feelings' back to him in answer. It satisfied him for now, but he knew something else was going on that had nothing to do with her heightened psychic ability.

_**CLDW**_

"Cathica I'm gonna miss you," Suki said as she stood by the lift and said her farewells. She turned to the Doctor next, "Floor 500, thank you."

"I didn't do anything," he told her with a smile.

"Well,you're my lucky charm."

"All right. I'll hug anyone." They hugged as Cassie giggled beside Adam who wouldn't come within ten feet of Cathica.

"I don't understand why your being this way," she whispered to Adam so Cathica couldn't hear them.

"What, with the head thing?" He looked at her as if she was crazy.

"It's closed," Cassie pointed out.

"Yeah, but," he tried to find the right words for his thoughts, "It's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to, I just need to cool down. Sort of acclimatise."

"Wha'cha mean?"

"Maybe I could just go and sit on the observation deck. Would that be alright?" Cassie wonder exactly how sitting alone on a futuristic space station a million miles and years away from you home would help him relax, "Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year two hundred thousand."

"I could come with you?" Cassie offered, she would if he wanted her to but she also really wanted to stay by the Doctor.

"No, no, you stick with the Doctor," Adam insisted. A little to quickly Cassie thought. "You'd rather be with him. It's going to take a better man than me to get between you two. Anyway, I'll be on the deck." Cassie stopped him, causing him to not go away just yet.

"If it gets to be a little to much for you, go and wait in the room with the TARDIS and wait for us. Me or the Doctor'll come and unlock the door," she lifted the key from being hidden under her shirt neckline. She would have given him the key. She trusted him enough, but something was telling her to keep the key with her. Adam nodded before heading off.

"_All staff are reminded that the sixteen forty break session has been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you._" The intercom announced as Cassie watched his retreating back.

"Oh, my God" Suki exclaimed when she heard the announcement, "I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry. Say good-bye to Steve for me. Bye!" The lift doors closed as she shouted her last sentence.

"Good riddance," Cathica muttered as the numbers showed Suki climbing to the top.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs." The Doctor pointed out.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back," she turned to walk back through the cafeteria, followed by the Doctor and Cassie.

"And you've never been up there?" Cassie asked.

"I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except the chosen few" The Doctor and Cassie gave each other a look and continued to follow her.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor and Cassie still followed Cathica on her daily routine of checking the info-spike room over. She seemed to be ignoring them for a time till she huffed abruptly, "Look, they only give us twenty minutes for maintenance, can't you give it a rest?"

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" The Doctor asked skeptically.

"I'm sure she had to go somewhere to get her head done," Cassie voice, looking intently at the hand print stations for the other eight people.

Cathica nodded before she continued, "Floor 16 when I first arrived, that's Medical. Then I came straight here. Satellite 5, you work, eat, and sleep on the same floor, and that's it, that's all." She did a one-over of them, "You're not management, are you?"

"At last, she's clever!" The Doctor declared, causing Cathica to roll her eyes along with Cassie.

"Whatever this is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?"

"Why would I?"

"You are a journalist, aren't you?" Cassie cut in, "From what I know about journalists or paparazzi, they do anything to get a story. Ask questions, tail people, even rifle through their trash."

Before Cathica could even think of an answer the Doctor hoped on the tail of Cassie comment with another question, "Why's all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything," Cathica slowly became more and more frustrated as the couple shot off one question after the next.

"There's no aliens on board, why?"

"I dunno, no real reason. They're not banned or anything."

"Then why aren't they here?" Cassie joined the Doctor in his rapid fire questioning.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up – it had to, what with all the threats," the reporter vaguely answered, not entirely sure why there weren't any aliens there herself.

"What threats," the Doctor countered.

"I dunno, all of them, the usual stuff. And then price of spacewarp doubled, that kept visitors away, Oh, and the government collapsed on Chavic Fice, so that lot stopped coming, y'see? Lots of little reasons, that's all." She almost smirked at them, thinking she'd given them a sufficient answer.

"Adding up to one great big fact. And you didn't even notice."

"Doctor," Cathica rolled her eyes when she figured out what he was getting at, "If there was any sort of conspiracy, Satellite 5 would have seen it, we see everything."

"I can see better," sitting down in the Cathica's seat, "This society is the wrong shape, even the technology-"

"It's cutting edge!" Cathica defended.

"You think it's alright to have great, big, flippin, door in your head?" Cassie asked while tapping her own forehead.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude, it's the way people think. The Great and Bountiful Human Empire is stunted, something's holding it back." The Doctor gave a mini-speech to Cathica to try and tell her the gravity of the situation.

"And you how would you know," Cathica accused as she tried to turn back to her clipboard.

"Trust me. Humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite 5 start broadcasting?" The Doctor questioned as he stood up.

Cathica turned back to him slowly with a strange look on her face as she answered him, "...Ninety-one years ago."

_**CLDW**_

"We're gonna get in trouble," Cathica hissed at them. They'd promptly exited the room and gotten right to what they did best, investigation and defacement. Though she could understand Cathica's worry, Cassie was getting very annoyed with the constant words of 'I don't know anything' and 'We're gonna get in trouble' and don't even start her on 'I dunno', "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, we'll get told off-"

"Got told off everyday at school," Cassie answered as she flashed back to her and Lindsey being reprimanded by the teacher for talking in class.

"You can't just vandalise the place, someone's gonna notice!" Cassie looked up to the camera that was across from them, perched on the wall. It's lens adjusted to fit them in the screen.

_**CLDW**_

"I don't understand," the white haired man whined slightly, "We did a full security scan, that man was there when we found Suki MacRae Cantrell." He stood beside the newly turned corpse Suki. "Nothing was indicated about him. Yet here he is, clearly acting outside the parameters." He stared at the screen for a moment before his face broke into a smile, "Fascinating!"

He was interrupted from his musings by a roaring from above. He turned swiftly to the ceiling and gained a frightened look on his face. "Absolutely! At once!" The man answered the sound and then turned back to the corpses, " Check him. Double check, triple check, quadruple check!" He gave the tasks to the corpses as he went down the line.

_**CLDW**_

"This has nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work," Cathica announced after she'd had enough of the two strangers ripping apart the inner mechanics of the mainframe.

"Go on then, see ya," the Doctor answered.

"Lovely meeting you," Cassie called also before turning back the wires.

Cathica hesitated before turning back, "Well I can't just leave you, can I?"

"If you need something to do, go; find a thermostat and turn the heat down. I've been boiling since I stepped foot in this place and I'm wearing this," she gestured to her halter-top. She didn't see the Doctor taking a small peak at her before turning back to his work. "You have any idea what's wrong with this place?"

"I dunno," Cassie had to grit her teeth if she didn't want to scream at Cathica's words, "We keep asking. It's something to do with the turbines."

"'Something to do with the turbines'," the Doctor mocked.

"Well I don't know!"

"Exactly! I give up on you, Cathica. Now Cassie, look at Cassie, Cassie is asking the right sort of question-"

"Thank you, sir," Cassie scooted in with a smile before continuing the question with the Doctor.

"Why is it so hot?"

Cathica gave them a strange look as they spoke at the same time before she just shook her head, "One minute you're worried about the Empire, next minute, it's the central heating!"

"Never underestimate plumbing," Cassie called before the Doctor could.

_**CLDW**_

"_Security scan complete._" The computer announced as the man continued to stare at the three people on the screen.

"And? Who is he?" the man prompted.

"_He is no one._"

"...What does that mean?" the man demanded in frustration.

"_He is no one._" It repeated.

"D'you mean he's got a fake ID?" the man tried to rationalize.

"_He has no identification_."

"But everyone's registered, we've got a census of the whole Empire!"

"_He is no one._"

"He doesn't exist...?" he sighed, "Not anywhere? What about the ginger that's always looking at the camera?"

"_She is no one._"

"Both of them..." he looked around with a grin on his face, "Well, we all know what happens to non-entities. They get promoted. Bring them up!"

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor reached further into the hole in the wall and pulled out a computer screen that showed a schematic of Satellite 5. "Here we go. Satellite 5. Pipes and plumbing! Look at the layout-"

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer core," Cathica looked at him with annoyed disbelief, "You could look up the archive, the news, the stock exchange... and you're looking at pipes!"

"But doesn't it look wrong...?" The Doctor tried to shove the computer in her face.

"I suppose..." Cathica conceded.

"What do you see?" Cassie asked, wanting Cathica to try and work it out herself. She could plainly see by the movement of the arrows what was going with the ventilation of Satellite 5.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts. Ice filters. All working flat out. They're chanelling massive amounts of heat down..."

"All the way from the top." The Doctor agreed with a smile, glad that he was finally getting somewhere with the woman, "Someone up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

"Anybody else feeling like we're standing outside of house that has an awesome party inside. Who feels like going and knocking on the door?" Cassie asked as she saw the grin on the Doctor's face and the confused look on Cathica's.

"But you can't," she tried to explain, "You need a key."

"A key's just a code. And I've got the codes, right here..." He twisted the screen to show them as a sequence of numbers flew by on the screen, "Bypass code two...one...five...point...nine...nine...seven...six...slash...three"

"How come it's giving you the codes?" Cathica asked bitterly. First Suki, now these people that didn't even work here were able to go up to Floor 500.

"Someone up there likes me." The Doctor smiled up to the camera that Cassie had been looking at before. He led the way to the lift and stepped inside with Cassie.

"Are you coming or not?" Cassie asked Cathica who stood outside, hesitantly.

"No way!" Cathica said definitely, "You only get one shot at Floor 500. When I go up, I'm gonna get there as a proper journalist."

"No offense, but calling yourself a journalist is like an abacus calling itself a mathematician," the Doctor quipped.

"'No offense' always means the complete opposite. Especially when it comes to you," Cassie scolded him lightly for his jab.

"See ya!" He waved to Cathica with a big smile.

"Just, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, don't involve me." Cathica told them before stomping off irritably.

"That's her gone. Adam's given up," the Doctor observed when looking around, "Looks like it's just you and me."

"Looks that way," Cassie smiled.

"Good."

He entered the code and the door closed. They remained silent as the lift flew upward. This gave Cassie time to think. Where was Adam? He'd left them a while ago and hadn't come looking for them. She was worried about him. Not just about his obvious freak out of being in another time, but of what he might do there. Their earlier conversation didn't sit right with her. It was far to close to the Master's mentality of seeing what the universe could do for you. And on top of that there was the warning in her diary of him having a hole in his head. After seeing Cathica, Cassie could guess what that meant. She just hoped Adam wouldn't be that stupid. Would he...?

"And before you say anything, I'm not going back!"

_**CLDW**_

The lift doors opened to reveal what Cassie could only describe as a winter wonderland. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't on the top floor of a space station. She was careful where she put her feet because some areas were icy. Clutching at her arms, Cassie immediately regretted every single thing she'd said against the heat downstairs. Especially when she'd thrown her sweatshirt into the TARDIS. She rubbed her forearms to try and conjure up some heat through her shivers.

The Doctor saw this and removed his leather jacket and gave it to her. It was a bit big and the sleeves went past her finger tips but it gave her some warmth. She nodded to him in thanks and continued into the frozen wasteland. They made their way to the platform the white haired man operated on.

"I started without you," he joked as he watched the two people come in. The man just dressed in a dark jumper and the girl in an over-sized jacket. "Now you see, this is fascinating. Satellite 5 contains every piece of information contained in the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you two..." he pointed at the two of them, "Don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world without leaving a single footprint?"

"I think a better question I who are you?" Cassie countered.

"Let's call me the Editor, shall we?" His eyes held hints of laughter at his title. Cassie was about to ask him something else, but her eyes were drawn to someone over his shoulder.

"Suki!" She bolted over the platform, being careful not to get to close to the Editor, "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry." She touched her wrist, it felt as cold as the room. Even if she'd been here for as long as she had, if she were alive she still would have been warmed by her internal body heat.

"I think she's dead." The Doctor told her solemnly.

"And she's still working cause, guess what? She got a chip in her head," she stared at Suki for a minute before turning to the Editor and fixing him with a glare, "You're sick."

"Oooo. Fiesty and full of information. I like her," he turned back to the Doctor, "It's only fair that we get information back. Because you, apparently, are no one. Ohh, and it's so rare, to not know something. Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter, cos we're off," he motioned for Cassie to follow, "Nice to meet you, come on-" Cassie tried to stand, but the Editor clicked his fingers and Suki's hand grabbed her arm. She tried to jerk away, but the corpses grip was like iron. It was actually starting to hurt. Suki's fingernails were cutting into her skin along with cutting off her circulation and crushing her bone. She made a small gasp of pain in effect to Suki's grip.

The Doctor ran forward when the gasp reached his ears, but he was apprehended by two other corpses that pinned his arms behind him. "Tell me who you are!" The Editor demanded again.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?" The Doctor was addressing the Editor but kept his eyes on the struggling Cassie. Who was trying to loosen Suki's grip by failing to bend her fingers back.

"Perhaps the Editor-in-Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?" The Doctor said as he tried to slip his arms out of the corpses grips.

"It might interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. It's not human at all, it's merely a place where humans happen to live." He was cut off by an angered rumbling. The Editor looked upward with a thoughtful look on his face as if he were actually listening, "Yes of course, I'm sorry: a place where humans are _allowed _ to live, by kind permission of my client." He clicked his fingers and a spotlight came on. Cassie snapped her head up and saw... Something.

It looked like a giant slug attached to the ceiling. It was an irritated, infected red color. Almost like a giant zit. It glistened in the spotlight and it's roaring, open mouth revealed rows of sharpened teeth, like shark. It was squirming and growling as if the light bother it, but it didn't even have any eyes.

"What the hell is that thing?" Cassie asked, Suki's grip momentarily forgotten.

"D'you mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite 5?" The Doctor asked horrified.

"No," the Editor corrected, "that 'thing', as you put it, is in charge of the Human Race. For almost a hundred years, mankind had been guided and shaped. Its knowledge and ambition, strictly controlled, through its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light: the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe."

Cassie had to stop herself from throwing up all over the deck as the Jagrafess twisted even more.

_**CLDW**_

The Editor clamped the the last of the wrist locks on Cassie and went to center of the platform to admire his work. The Doctor and Cassie were imprisoned in some futuristic version of the stocks.

"Create a climate of fear, and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast, repeated often enough, can destabilise an economy. Invent an enemy. Change a vote."

"And everyone down on the Earth is just in slavery." Cassie glared at the Editor.

"Well now, there's an interesting question," the Editor mused, "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," both the Doctor and Cassie answered immediately.

"Oh," he pouted a little, "And I was hoping for a philosophical debate, it that it, just 'yes'?"

"Yes," the Doctor answered alone this time.

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles. Then you'll find out how much fun I am," the Doctor threatened.

"Ohh, he's tough!" He remarks to Cassie, "But come on! Isn't it a good system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit. No warfare needed. No guns, no soldiers, no blood, just a slow and silent occupation. It's not only effective, but cheap!"

"And you, being the overseer of the slavery empire. And what happens if someone notices your little elaborate scheme. They get whipped, or turned into that," Cassie nodded over to the corpses that were back at their work stations.

"Oh, someone notices now and again, yes. But the computer-chip system gives me access inside their heads. I can see the smallest doubt. And crush it," he emphasised the movement by doing it with his hand, "So the people just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth, thinking that they're so individual. When in fact, they're just cattle. In the sense, the Jagrafess had hardly changed a thing."

"And what's it doing it for?"

"Earth was expanding, the Jagrafessfold breeding grounds would have been next. My client prefers mankind small."

"And what's in it for you?" Cassie countered, "Cos you're human. Not a Jagrafess."

"Yes," he conceded to her point, "But simply being human doesn't pay that well."

"You didn't do it all on your own."

"Course not! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. And the Jagrafess did need a hand, to install itself."

"No wonder, creature that size, what's its lifespan?" The Doctor chimed in.

"Three thousand years," he grinned.

"That's one hell of a metabolism. Generating all that heat. That's why Satellite 5 is so hot, you pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs – the Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite 5 is one great big life-support system." The Doctor's gaze slowly began to drift from the Editor to a space just behind him. Cassie followed it and saw Cathica hided behind a bar.

"But that's why you're dangerous," Cassie ripped her eyes away from Cathica and brought them back to the Editor, "Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown." He clicked his fingers again a red light was illuminated on the manacles. Electricity coursed through Cassie as her knees buckled under her. She twisted her wrists around in them to try and get them loose, but only burned her wrists with the friction. She gasped and bit her lip to not scream out in pain. She heard the Doctor next her in the same amount of pain as her and wasn't making a sound. If he could bare it, so could she.

"Who are you?" she heard the Editor growl at them. The electricity cut off and Cassie slumped against the bounds and breathed heavy.

"Leave her alone!" Cassie heard the Doctor plead over her deep breathing, "I'm the Doctor and she's Cassie Lee – we're nothing, we're just wandering, let her go."

"But who are you?"

"I've just said!"

"Who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly do you represent..." The Editor cut off from his continuous questions with a sharp in take of breath. He smiled, "Time Lord."

"...What?" The Doctor did a double take.

"Information! Oh yes!" He cheered, "The last of the Time Lords. And his travelling machine. With his little human girl from long ago." He turned Cassie's chin up a little before she jerked out of his grip. She didn't need that.

"Don't know what you're talking about-" the Doctor muttered darkly, having seen the Editor's move.

"Time travel!"

"Someone's telling you lies-"

"What, young master Adam Mitchell?" He clicked his fingers again, Cassie flinched ever so slightly in fear of being electrocuted again, but a holo-projection came up. Showing Adam sitting in Cathica's chair with a hole in his head and spiked energy holding him there as he writhed.

"His head..." was all Cassie could say as she stared at the four-pronged door in his head.

"What's he done...?" The Doctor yelled, "What the hell has he gone and done? They're reading his mind, he's telling them everything-"

"And through him," the Editor gloated, "I know all about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And what a prize! Bonanza!" Adam only writhed more as the pain increased as the Editor extracted more memories.

"You're gonna kill him!" Cassie yelled at the smirking Editor.

"Small price to pay!"

"Let him go!"

"Knowledge is power, and you've got infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny, compared to what you've seen. In this T, A, R, D, I, S – TARDIS!"

"Well you're not getting your hands on it," the Doctor shouted, "I'll die first-"

"Die all you like," the Editor cut in, "I don't need you! I've got the key!" He swiftly went over to Cassie and lifted the chain the key was on from under her shirt. Cassie twisted her hands even more to try and stop him but couldn't manage it.

"You leave her out of this!" The Doctor struggled against the manacles holding him back.

"Let's see what else you've got on yourself, pretty girl!" The Editor announced. He passed his hand and few inches away from her body as if picking and choosing. His smile grew wider as the Doctor struggled harder and Cassie tried to shrink away from him. His hand finally shot out and grabbed her diary from the back pocket of her capri's, "Oh, your diary. Let's see what secret's you've written down."

"Give that back," Cassie strained to point where she would be falling over if it weren't for the manacles. The Editor was flipping through the pages and ignoring her.

"Haha, we've got a little psychic here," the Editor laughed as he looked between Cassie and the book, "Your whole history, Doctor. Pressed together in the pages of a book." The Doctor looked over at Cassie with a incredulous look. He hadn't known she'd gone that far into the future. He thought maybe just a few weeks at most, but years? "How do you not take a peak?"

"I have self-control." The Doctor's glare increased as he watched Cassie struggle more to get the book back. It was easily one of her most prize possessions. It wasn't just the future knowledge the book gave her, it also gave her the little sense of home.

"But, enough of that." The Editor closed the book with a snap and turned back to them, "Today, we become the headlines. The Mighty Jagrafess and the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe can maximise its newsgathering. We can rewrite history. We can prevent mankind from ever developing." The Doctor turned to look at Cathica.

"And no one will stop you. Cos you've bred a Human Race which doesn't even bother asking questions. Stupid little slaves. Believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughterhouse, if they're told it's made of gold." Cassie saw something dawn on Cathica's face before she turned and ran out.

_**CLDW**_

Cathica headed for the spike room that was on Floor 500. She pushed the desiccated body out of the chair and took it's seat. "Disengage safety." She clicked her fingers to open her brain port.

_**CLDW**_

The Editor's gloating air dropped immediately when the glowing screen flickered.

"What's happening-?"

_**CLDW**_

"Maximum access," Cathica demanded, "Override Floor 139, and...spike!"

_**CLDW**_

On the screen, the spike released Adam before the it cut out. The Editor went over to the corpses, "Someone's disengaged the safety, who is it-?" He clicked his fingers again and another screen come up, showing Cathica.

"She's thinking!" The Doctor grinned, finally happy that not only the woman was thinking for herself, but also for the Editor was far away from Cassie, "She's using what she knows."

"Terminate her access!" The Editor shouted, "I said, terminate!" He pressed his hand down on the corpses hands in vain to try and make them go faster.

"Everything I showed her about Satellite 5, the pipes, the filters, she's reversing it!" The Doctor looked around at the walls, "Look at that. It's getting hot." Water was pouring out of everywhere as the icicles and frozen sheets of ice began to melt.

"Burn out her mind!" The Editor desperately called.

_**CLDW**_

Cathica slammed her fist on the armrest, fighting against the Editor's orders, "Ohh no you don't. You should've promoted me years back-"

_**CLDW**_

A huge power surge erupted through the platform. All the corpses that were once stiff, flopped lifeless to the floor. The Editor began to try and control the satellite himself. Cassie's manacles flew open and she quickly slipped out. The Doctor was still half stuck. The Jagrafess was beginning to bubble and turn an even darker shade of red. The sound of it's roars and groans were splitting Cassie's ears.

"I'm trying, sir," The Editor called, "I don't know how she did it, it's impossible! A member of staff with an idea!"

Cassie grabbed the screwdriver from inside the Doctor's jacket that she was still wearing and soniced his wrists. They flew open and he agilely stepped out and grabbed the sonic.

"She's venting the heat. Back up to Floor 500! The Jagrafess needs to keep cool, now it's sitting on top of a volcano!" Jets of steam were shooting out everywhere. The heat on the lower levels was seeping into the top floor and the abrupt climate change was bursting parts of the Jagrafess. The Doctor did a once-over on Cassie after he was free, to make sure she was fine. Apart from slightly red wrists, she was unharmed. He turned to see the frantically running around Editor, going form station to station desperately trying to gain control. He almost called out to him, almost. After he'd caused Cassie's pain and taken something dear to her, the Editor was as good as dead to him.

He marched off, with Cassie's wrist in hand, and left the Editor to his fate. Only to be pulled back by Cassie, who scampered back to pick up her diary where the Editor had dropped it. She flipped through it once and than ran back to him.

They made their way to Cathica where she almost looked at peace with the machine.

"Not today," the Doctor grinned as he clicked his fingers. Her head closed and the light cut off. She opened her eyes, a bit dazed, and smiled back at the Time Lord before getting up and following them.

_**CLDW**_

_Workers of Satellite 5, stay where you are, the authorities have been summoned. Stay where you are, the authorities have been summoned..._

_**CLDW**_

Cassie hugged Cathica while the computer voiced over their moment. "We're just gonna go, I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage." The Doctor told Cathica.

"But you'll have to stay and explain it," Cathica protested worriedly, "No one's gonna believe me."

"They might start believing a lot of things, now. Human race should accelerate. All back to normal."

"What about your friend...?" Cathica asked uncertainly about Adam.

"He's not my friend." He turned from Cathica and left her to the clean up. He spotted Adam waiting by the TARDIS, nervously looking around. The Doctor just glared at him with a dark gleam in his eye. This was one of those terrifying moments when he let the Oncoming Storm out.

"Doctor-" Cassie tried. But he only put a hand up to silence her. She sighed as she felt his testosterone rise. Men.

"I'm all right now. Much better." Adam tried but the Doctor remained silent, "It all worked out for the best, yeah?" The Doctor was closer now and the expression on his face frightened Adam to no end. "It wasn't my fault," Adam grasped at straws to just wipe the look off his face, "You left me all alone, you were in charge-" The Doctor just grabbed his arm and forced him into the TARDIS. Cassie paused before entering. She was not looking forward to this. She waved good-by the Cathica before taking a deep breath and entering the TARDIS.

_**CLDW**_

"Doctor, be careful with him," Cassie called as he shoved Adam out the door. She followed them out and found herself in an average home that was decorated with dusty nick-knacks and plastic covered furniture.

"It's my house," Adam said in disbelief, "I'm home. Oh my God, I'm home. Blimey. I thought you were gonna chuck me out of an airlock."

"I wouldn't let him," Cassie mumbled.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor ignored her comment.

"No. Um. What d'you mean...?" The Doctor walked past him to the phone and held it up.

"The archive of Satellite 5. One second of that message could change the world."

"Oh, Adam," Cassie scolded, "I told you not to."

"You should listen to Cassie," the Doctor told him before destroying his phone and erasing the message permanently, "That's it then. See ya."

"How d'you mean, see ya?" Adam asked, slightly panicked.

"As in, good-bye."

"But... what about me? You can't just go, I've got my head. I've got a chip Type Two, my head opens!"

"What, like this?" The Doctor clicked his fingers and Adam's head opened.

"Don't!" He clicked his fingers and it closed.

"Don't do what?" Open.

"Stop it!" Closed.

"Come on, Doctor. Leave him alone." Cassie told him.

"Thank you," Adam smugly said. Until Cassie clicked her fingers and opened his head, "Oi!"

"You know you deserved that! Now you have to live it," Cassie said with a hard face.

"The whole of history could've changed. Because of you." The Doctor cut in. A little glad Cassie agreed with him.

"I just wanted to help."

"You were helping yourself."

"I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am. But you can't just leave me like this." Adam pleaded.

"Yes I can. Cos if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. So you'll have to live a very quiet life. Cause no trouble. Stay quiet. Unseen. Good luck."

"But I want to come with you."

"I only take the best. I've got Cassie," The Doctor threw her a smile before entering the TARDIS. Adam turned to Cassie as a last resort.

"Can't you tell him?" He paused when he heard a key scrape in a lock, "Oh my God-"

"Who's that?" A female voice called through the house, "Geoff, is that you?"

"It's me, don't come in mum," Adam called, "Stay there a minute-"

"Oh my Lord! You never said you were coming home! Is that your father keeping secrets again, oh how marvellous, hold on, I'm stuck-"

"Take me with you," Adam whispered.

Cassie shook her head in disbelief, "You stole my phone, which I want back," she held her hand out and he dug in his pocket for it; deposited it in her hand, "Lied, and nearly gave the power of time to a Jagrafess alien slug thing. I may have forgiven you," Cassie kept backing him up closer and closer to the wall, "Everyone makes mistakes, right? But you know something you didn't do. When I was talking back there about being stupid, you didn't say no." Adam was flat against the wall now and the Doctor was peaking out to watch the show, "Big mistake. You didn't. Say. No." She patted him on the cheek and headed back to the TARDIS. Leaving him there in the year 2012 with 200,000 year technology in his head.

**A/N: Hey, all. So, yeah. Don't really know what to say about this chapter. It was really to difficult write because it was one of my least favorite episodes of the ****series. I personally don't really care about Adam. He was just selfish and only cared about finding out what the future could do for him. I was happy when the Doctor kicked him out. I would have been happier if Rose had smacked him, but what ya gonna do? **

**So, not much to say. Wasn't a favorite episode, not a favorite chapter. But it's necessary for the next few chapters. First, Father's Day. Looking forward to that. I'm working on a twist that will leave the Doctor's head spinning. And Rose will be in the episode, cause otherwise it doesn't make much sense. And after that, Captain Jack! My all time favorite character. I love John Barrowman! I practically want to kiss Russel for bringing him in. So obviously The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, Boom Town, Bad Wolf, and Parting of the Ways are my fav's of this series. **

**Oh, my god. I just realized we only have six chapters left of this story. That is so weird. I'm a little sad with the story ending. But then comes TEN! Eeep! So awesome!**

**So, read, review, and stay Who-ish! **


	10. Chapter 10: Father's Day

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

_'Peter Alan Tyler, my dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th September 1954.'_

_**CLDW**_

"Mom? Rose? You there?" Cassie called as she and and rather reluctant Doctor entered the Tyler flat. They'd just come from a little trip to Disney World: Pluto in 7,056,890. The Doctor had decided to treat her after leaving Adam at his house. He didn't understand it but she seemed to have a little soft side for him. Or maybe it wasn't just him? Maybe it was the fact that there was another human being on board. He'd have to look into that. But, he wanted to give her something that was a little familiar from her time. Disney World: Pluto had all the classic parks. Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom. And then there were the new parks. The Swamp Bog of Brotal and the Enchanted Forrest of Moncral. Cassie had especially loved the Ice Palace of Surtinia. But nothing was the same as going home. So he'd agreed and set the controls for planet Earth.

"Cassie?" Rose's voice came from the kitchen. Cassie and the Doctor saw her rush into the living room and her face break into smile before she tackled Cassie with a hug. The Doctor quickly stepped back to avoid being hit and stepped around them on the floor giving them a moment. He gave a look as they started giggling like mad. He almost made it to the living room but Jackie rushed out of the kitchen with joy in her eyes. They went from her daughters on the ground to him standing there like a deer in headlights. You know what they say: no sudden movements. Unfortunately, that didn't help when she flung herself at him into a hug and squeezed him. He squirmed until she laughed at his discomfort and went to join her daughters on the floor.

The Doctor watched the dog pile on the floor with the two blonds laughing along with the ginger who after a minute or two looked uncomfortable. "I've got presents!" She called to break up the dog pile. Rose squealed immediately and jumped up. Jackie held on for a moment longer before letting go.

_**CLDW**_

"Cassie?" Rose had pulled Cassie aside while the Doctor was trying to show Jackie how to use her gift.

"What's up girly?" Cassie joked with a smile before she softened when she saw the troubled look on Rose's face, "Seriously, what's wrong?"

Rose kept silent a little longer before answering, "Today's my dad's birthday."

"Oh, Rose," Cassie immediately pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry I didn't know." Pete Tyler was always a touchy subject in the flat. Whenever Jackie had a little to much to drink she'd go around the house muttering his name and telling stories about him. And when his birthday rolled around, no one mentioned it. They had special treats like a tiny cake to celebrate it, but that was it.

It seemed like his absence weighed heavily on Rose. Even though he'd died when she was still a baby, Rose always seemed to think about what her life might have been like if her dad hadn't died. Would they have gone on picnics? Would they have had family game nights? All these questions built up in her head and could never be answered. And Jackie telling stories left and right didn't help in the least. Cassie always had to calm Rose down when she got to worked up over it.

"S'okay," Rose muttered into Cassie's shoulder. "I was just thinking... Could I see him?"

"Who?" Cassie pulled back slightly.

"My dad," Rose clarified, "Could I go in the TARDIS and see my dad?" Cassie stiffened at Rose's question. Nothing good ever came from crossing your own time stream. Her mind drifted to the words that were written into her diary.

_Rose, don't!_

_Reapers._

_I think you're rather sweet, Pete._

_It's okay Rose. It's gonna be okay._

This wouldn't turn out good. Two of those four sentences did not sit well with Cassie and that was two sentences to much. She would have told Rose no if it weren't for the puppy dog face. That face got Cassie into trouble so many times and yet she still hadn't found an immunity to it. She stared at Rose's face for a minute, but when her lip began to quiver her heart melted.

"Ok, fine," Rose squealed with delight, "But, I have two conditions. One, we need to sell, and I mean sell this to the Doctor. And two, mom can not know about this."

"Why?"

"She can barely let me go on random adventures," Cassie explained as her gaze shifted to the Doctor, who was actually smiling a little, and Jackie, "Imagine what she'll be like if you go in the TARDIS to specifically see your dad?"

"Ooh. Not good."

"Exactly," Cassie took Rose's arm and led her over to the Doctor and Jackie, "Mom, would it be ok if me and Rose went and did something?"

"Yeah, of course love." Jackie said offhandedly, playing with her gift still.

"Great! Come on Doctor," Cassie called as she and Rose headed toward door. The Doctor looked after them with a strange look before shrugging and following.

_**CLDW**_

When the Doctor decided to sneak away from the little outing the girls had planned by hiding in the TARDIS, he was surprised to find them there already, lounging on the captain's chair. When the doors squeaked open, Cassie turned her head in the direction of the doors and smirked.

"Well, took you long enough," she pulled her legs out from under Rose's and stretched, "I was worried you wouldn't sneak back here."

"What?" The Doctor asked, confused. Not understanding women was one thing, but not understanding why a girl wanted him to do the opposite of what she said took the cake.

"I needed an excuse to give mom so we could sneak back here," Cassie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And what are we doing here?"

"Rose has a favor to ask," Cassie turned back to Rose and gave her an encouraging smile. Rose looked unsure of herself when the Time Lord turned his gaze on her. She took a calming breath before continuing.

"It's my dad's birthday today."

"I've never seen your dad," the Doctor thoughtlessly blurted out.

"He died when I was a baby," Rose answered mistily, "But that's not the point. The point is that I want to see him. In his prime, not a grave stone or a picture. The genuine article." She paused as she thought to herself.

Cassie noticed the Doctor's far off look. Possibly thinking about if he had the chance to see his family again.

"Mum use to tell us all kinds of stories about him," Rose continued, "So I was wondering... could we? Could we go and see my Dad, when he was still alive?"

"Please, Doctor," Cassie added for good measure. The Doctor gave them an unconvinced look and Rose's smile faded.

"If we can't, if it breaks the laws of time or something then...never mind, just leave it," Rose muttered while she seemed to shrink in on herself.

"No, I can do anything, I'm more worried about you. Are you sure about this?" The Doctor assured. He may not have known Rose that well, but she was Cassie's sister and Cassie was an amazing person so her sister had to be. Right?

"Yeah," Rose said as her smile returned and Cassie patted her wrist, "I want to see him."

"Okay," he immediately began to flip switches and push buttons, "Your wish is my command-"

"Are you a genie in a bottle now?" Cassie laughed as she clutched on to the TARDIS and brought Rose's hand to the console so she wouldn't crash on to the floor in mid-flight.

"Oi!"

_**CLDW**_

The three time travellers filled up the back pew in a registry office. Pete and Jackie Tyler were standing at the front with a registry officer in-between them. They were in the middle of their vows when the three of them had slipped in.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Prentice..." The officer read off for Pete to repeat.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler," Pete started out strong, "Take you, Jacqueline Susan...Suzette...Anita?" As he messed up her name he began to stutter and look around a little desperately.

Jackie shook her head in slight embarrassment but saw him flounder around and took pity on him, "Oh just carry on, it was good enough for Lady Di."

Cassie silently giggled as the Doctor smiled at Pete's flub while Rose frowned and did a one over on her dad again. Cassie gave her a questioning look as her frown deepened.

"I thought he'd be taller," Rose explained to her sister. The Doctor chuckled lowly at Rose's words.

_**CLDW**_

A 6 year-old Rose was sitting next to her mother on her bed. A scrapbook was opened to show a man in his late thirties, early forties smiling from quite a few pictures.

"He died so close to home," Jackie said, looking off into the distance. As if seeing that day play over in her mind, "But I wasn't there, nobody was. It was a hit and run diver. We never found out who. I hope he can't sleep at night, I hope he never slept again." She shook herself out of her trance before she could say something that would scare Rose, "Pete was dead when the ambulance got there. I only wish there'd been someone there for him."

_**CLDW**_

They were back on the TARDIS and the Doctor and Cassie were listening to Rose explain the reason for their next trip, "I want to be that someone, so he doesn't die alone." Cassie bit her lips in worry. The deeper they got into Rose's past the more antsy she became. No one should live through their parent's dieing. Especially if they know it's gonna happen.

"Rose," Cassie began cautiously, "Are you sure you can handle this?" Rose nodded but Cassie still couldn't banish the feeling she was getting from the trip.

"November the 7th?" the Doctor asked after Rose's assurance.

"1987," Rose confirmed. Cassie's stomach was churning slightly as the time rotor started moving, sluggishly as if the TARDIS didn't want to go either. Cassie gently stroked the TARDIS console to try and comfort her in her disliking.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie glanced around the street they were walking down. It was a sunny day except for a few clouds in the sky. There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy. No shining beam of light, not thundering storm clouds. Just an ordinary day. Rose had the same comment.

"This is so weird. The day my father died. I thought it would be all sort of grim and stormy, it's just an ordinary day."

"The past is another country," the Doctor muttered, "1987 is just the Isle of Wight."

"You're absolutely sure about this?" Cassie tried. Her stomach was still turning and it was only getting worse.

"Yeah," Rose told her as she squeezed her hand. Cassie only gained a weary expression on her face as she followed Rose, walking towards the scene of her father's death.

They ended up near the building that housed the Tyler flat. It was odd that in the eighteen odd years since Pete's death, that Jackie hadn't moved or at least changed apartments.

Rose stopped suddenly and gripped Cassie's hand for support. Cassie grabbed the Doctor's for her own support. "This is it. Jordan Road," Cassie squeezed Rose's hand when her voice wavered, "He was late, he'd been to get this wedding present, a vase, mum always said that stupid vase. He got out of his car. Crossed the road..." A battered, brown car pulled up to the curb and a blond, balding man got out with a vase in his hand, "Oh God. This is it."

Cassie moved from holding Rose's hand to wrapping her arm around her. Pete was just pulling out his keys to lock his car when another car turned the corner. The car was going far to fast and it was instantly on top of Pete. The screech of the oncoming car's tires alerted Pete that something was wrong and he looked up and saw the car. His eyes gave a look of despair as the kid driver threw his arm over his eyes in dread. Cassie looked away and only heard the smashing of the vase as it hit the ground. The Doctor squeezed Cassie's hand and she gave him weary smile. She turned back to the scene and saw Pete laying on the ground. He just looked so helpless and vulnerable. Her eyes pricked with tears.

"Go to him," Cassie urged Rose. She looked over and Rose was just standing there, tears threatening to overflow from her eyes. "Rose?"

All of a sudden, Rose bolted. But instead of towards her father, she was running back the way they'd come. "Rose!" And Cassie sped off after her with the Doctor close behind.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie had finally caught up to Rose and sat her down on a bench to calm her down. Rose was leaning her head on Cassie shoulder, crying steadily when the Doctor found them. He just leaned against the wall to give them a moment.

Sirens could be heard close by. Rose looked up and gained an even more heartbroken expression on her face, "It's too late now. By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead."

"I'm sorry," Cassie murmured into her hair. She knew exactly how she felt. Every single day since she'd appeared in this universe, which she still hadn't figured out how she got there, she'd missed her family so much. She always felt like she'd missed out on all the special moments with them. She was only seventeen. She'd never shopped for a prom dress with her mom, never had the boyfriend talk with her sister, when she'd went on her first date with Chris, her dad hadn't been there to intimidate him like all the TV dad's did. It hurt sometimes to think about it. But she had Jackie, Rose, and Mickey. Jackie had about four books full of prom dress ideas when she was a senior. Rose had been happy to oblige with the talk when Chris had asked her out and Mickey had made the whole thing as awkward as possible with his over-protective big brother-ness. But it wasn't the same.

"He can't die on his own. Can I try again?" Cassie heard Rose ask. She turned to face her and was met with the puppy dog face. But her stomach had only clenched tighter with Rose's question.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Doctor?" Cassie looked at the Doctor for support, but judging by the look in his eye and the way he was looking at Rose with understanding, she doubted he would be doing that anytime soon.

_**CLDW**_

They were slowly sneaking around the corner they'd passed three times now. Cassie peaked around and saw the three of them from before all linked together watching the scene unfold. "Right," The Doctor explained as they crept around, "That's the first us. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time-"

"But you refuse to listen," Cassie piped up earning herself a glare from the Doctor.

"But just be careful they don't see us," the Doctor continued, "Wait till she runs off, she follows, and he goes after them both, then go to your dad." Rose nodded and turned to watch as if she's waiting for the right moment. But Cassie felt as if she was planning something.

"I can't do this," Rose breathed out.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," the Doctor assured her, "But this is the last time we can be here."

Rose just kept shaking her head. "Whatever you're thinking, don't," Cassie whispered. Rose ignored her and continued to watch. She suddenly lurched forward and Cassie grabbed her arm, stopping her, "Rose, don't!" But Rose wrenched it out of her grip and ran towards her father. The Doctor only looked speechless as Rose ran past their doubles. Cassie even heard herself say, "Crap."

Rose tackled her father and they rolled out of the way of the car. It barreled past them and just disappeared. A few moments later, their earlier selves vanished in the same way and Cassie felt a sharp pain in her head. Her hand flew to her temple and massaged it as she listened to Rose and her dad's conversation.

"I did it," Rose exclaimed as she just stared at her dad, "I saved your life!"

"Blimey, see the speed of him," Pete remarked. Oblivious to Rose's excitement, "D'you get his number?"

"But I really did it!" Rose was still in shock, "Oh my God, look at you, you're alive! That car was gonna kill ya!" Pete finally looked over at her with a look.

"Give me some credit, I did see it coming, I wasn't gonna walk under it, was I? I'm not that daft!" Rose gave him a look, '_If only you knew._' She just stared at him again. Taking in the fact that he was alive and well. Then she realized she hadn't even introduced herself.

"I'm Rose," She stuck her hand to offer a hand shake.

"Oh that's a coincidence," Pete said as he took her hand and shook, "That's my daughter's name."

"That's a great name," Rose continued to smile at him like a maniac, "Good choice. Well done." Pete nodded at her, not really understanding her electric mood.

"Well … I better shift. I'm late for a wedding." Rose's expression turned panicked as her father seemed to be slipping away. So she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Is that … Sarah Clarke's wedding?"

Pete looked at her strangely, "Yeah. Are you going?"

"... Yeah," she decided after a minute.

"Do you, your friend and her boyfriend need a lift?" Rose glanced over at the Doctor and Cassie. The Doctor was glaring furiously at them while Cassie had a shocked expression on her face. Her hand was still poised on her forehead. Rose's smile faltered.

_**CLDW**_

They all entered the Tyler flat that really hadn't changed much in the next few years, "There we go, sorry about the mess," Pete said as they entered, "If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there, on the left, milk's in the fridge, well it would be, wouldn't it, where else would you put milk? Mind you," Pete gained an expression on his face that read like he was telling them a great secret, "There's always the windowsill outside, I always thought, if someone invented a windowsill with special compartments, like one for milk, one for yoghurt, you could make money out of that, sell it to students and things. I should write that down-" he looked around the apartment for a pencil and paper, "Anyway, never mind that, 'scuse me a minute, gotta go and change..." Cassie took a seat that was out of the way. She knew the personalities of Rose and the Doctor. Heads. Would. Roll.

"All the stuff mum kept," Rose mused as she saw of his invention things out on the tables and chairs, "His stuff. She had it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard, she used show us, when she'd had a bit to drink. And here it is, on display. Where it should be." She went over to look at the trophies and things, "Third prize at the bowling. First two got go to Didcot. Health drinks!" She darted over to a giant pack of bottles, "Tonics, mum used to call them, he made money selling this Vitex stuff, he had all sorts of jobs, he was so clever." The more Rose talked about the different jobs and things Pete had, the more Cassie doubted what she said. People who have many jobs are not generally successful.

"Solar power!" Rose cheered as she saw plans on the table, "Mum said he was going to do that. Now he can!" She said satisfied. She looked over at the Doctor Cassie and her smile dropped. The Doctor was scowling, Cassie was sitting there with a tired expression on her face. "What?"

"When I brought Cassie home, I watched your face. When I said we travelled in space, nothing," He shook his head as he told his observations, "Then I said time and your eyes lite up." Rose rolled her eyes at his accusation.

"This wasn't some big plan. I just saw it happening, and I thought 'I can stop it'," Rose defended. The Doctor just scoffed.

"I did it again. I picked another stupid ape," Cassie was surprised at the menace in his voice that she looked up to scold him and saw that instead of glaring at Rose, his hard gaze was on her, "I should have known: it's not about showing you the universe. It never is, It's about the universe doing something for and you friends!" Rose made an outraged noise as Cassie remained speechless with shock.

"It isn't her fault!" Rose defended as she went over to Cassie's side, "She was the one that said we shouldn't do this and it's okay when _you _go to other times and _you _save people, but not when it's me saving my Dad?"

"I know what I'm doing," the Doctor shot back, his attack switching from Cassie to Rose, "You don't! Even Cassie has a better knowledge about this then you because of her psychic ability! Two lots of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive-" Rose tried.

"His whole planet burned, Rose," Cassie cut in before the Doctor, "I have no idea where my biological family is. Do you think it never occurred to _us _to go back to save and find them?" The Doctor looked at her with strange eyes. Like a mix of confusion and a little regret.

"But it's not like I changed history," Rose continued gently to her, "Not much. I mean, he's never gonna be a world leader, he's not gonna start World War Three or anything."

"Rose, there's a man alive in the world, who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation, an ordinary man. The whole world is different, because he's alive," the Doctor said with an edge to his voice.

"What, would you rather him dead?" Rose shouted with tears in her eyes.

"I'm not saying that -"

"No, I get it! I just went and usurped your territory! Your just jealous!" Rose yelled back, with a restraining hand on her wrist from Cassie. She wanted her to stop before she said something she'd regret. Rose was famous in the on the Estate for saying something in the heat of the moment than being guilt ridden that she even thought about it.

"You think so? Let's see you do without me, then. Give me the key," the Doctor held out his hand, waiting.

"What key?" Rose asked confused.

"The TARDIS key. I know Cassie gave you one in case you got lost, give it back!" Rose rolled her eyes at him before digging in her pocket and extracted the key.

"All right then, I will!" She shoved the key into his palm with more force than was needed.

"You've got what you wanted, so that's good-bye then … You coming?" His sentence started out with fire, but it tapered off as he addressed Cassie. His face seemed to say that he was sorry he snapped at her before, but he was to proud to say it.

Cassie just kept looking at him with shock and sadness. How could he think that she was in this just to see what it could do for her? They'd bonded, they'd laughed, they'd become close. How could he think that? It just didn't make sense.

Rose's grip on her tightened. From what she'd seen of their relationship, if it was the right circumstance, Rose was scared to think that Cassie might actually choose him over her. Cassie squeezed her back in assurance. The Doctor was an amazing man, but she was her sister.

The Doctor's eyes saw their gripped hands and his face seemed to fall, "Fine," was all he said before he turned to leave. Not even asking for her key. Rose breathed out shakily, then she chuckled. Her action caused the Doctor to pause.

"Now I know you're not leaving," Rose mused as the Doctor's shoulders tensed and Cassie looked at her quizzically, "I know you have no problem leaving me anywhere, but you'll never leave her." The Doctor almost turned around, but decided against it and continued out.

"It'll be fine, Cassie. He'll come back," Rose assured her. A few moments later Pete popped his head in with a guilty face from listening in on their conversation.

"Boyfriend trouble?"

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was sitting numbly in her chair, knees brought up to her chin. The Doctor was so strange. One minute he's accusing her using him to change time, then he's asking her to join him while they left her sister in a different time. To add to her frustration with him, she was in the middle of a splitting headache. It started at the would-be crash site when Rose had saved her dad. Now and then she'd have shooting pain through her skull. It had the same pressure she associated with trying to fit a square puzzle piece into a circular space.

Unlike other adventures, Cassie still couldn't figure this one out. She knew it was an episode, that much was clear. The first words in her diary had come true with her trying to stop Rose from her little stunt. But the next word was the confusing one. _Reapers?_ What were those? The only thing she could conjure up from her memory that associated with the word was the color red. It was just odd.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Rose pushing peanuts into her hand that were all over the table. It was just an instinct she had when she was home.

"'Scuse me, d'you mind, what are you tidying up for?" Pete asked as he walked into the room, adjusting his tie. Rose froze mid sweep, as if she remembered where she was. She sheepishly brushed the remaining crumbs off her hands and moved away from the table.

"Sorry, force of habit." Pete nodded a little, not really understanding her explanation. He glanced over at the ginger that was curled up in his chair. He would have thought it a little odd that he invited two complete strangers into his home, but there was just something about them. The blond was so familiar, and sometimes, if he squinted, she actually reminded him of Jackie. And the ginger just invoked a sort of pity in him. She looked so sad, especially after the fight she had with her leather clad boyfriend. She seemed genuinely upset. He just wanted to give her some sort of comfort.

"Don't worry about him," Pete told her with a hand on her shoulder. Cassie looked up at him, "Couples have rows all the times."

"We're not a couple," she murmurs into her knees, "People always think we're a couple. I think he left us."

"He'd never leave you," Rose told her.

"Yeah, a pretty girl like you, both of you?" Pete observed as he looked at both of them. Both of their faces froze. Rose in disgust, Cassie in light amusement. After all, he wasn't her father, "If I was going out with either of you-"

"Stop right there," Rose shot in, not wanting to hear another word.

"I'm just saying-"

"I know what you're saying," Rose insisted, trying desperately to have him not complete his thought, "And we're not going there, at no point are we going anywhere near there. You aren't even aware that there exists. I don't want to think about there, and believe me, neither do you. There for you, is like the Bermuda Triangle." She finished with a slight shiver of what was almost said.

"Blimey, you know how to flatter a bloke," Pete stared at her with an odd expression. The blonde girl was reminding him more and more of Jackie. Mind you a little more polite but still.

"Well, I think you're rather sweet, Pete," Cassie chirped up and kissed him on the cheek in a platonic way. Pete blushed slightly and Cassie giggled while Rose rolled her eyes at them from the exit of the room.

"Are we off then?" She held out her arm for him to take like a gentleman and he just stared at it.

"That wouldn't be a mixed signal, would it?" Pete asked as he cautiously laced his arm through hers.

"Of course not," Cassie giggled, taking hold of his other arm. Pete smiled lightly to himself, glad that he had pulled the ginger out of her silent depression.

"I'd take you both back to the looney bin where you belong, but it's weird," he explained as he escorted them through the hallways of the building, "I keep on thinking, haven't I seen you somewhere before...?" He trailed off looking over at Rose.

_**CLDW**_

They had all piled into Pete's car, Rose immediately called shot gun to be closer to her dad. Cassie crawled into the back, trying to remove herself from the conversation as much as she could. She may have been glad to have met Rose's dad 'cause he was a sweetheart. But that still didn't change the fact that something was definitely wrong and it all culminated on the fact that Pete Tyler was still alive and breathing. Her headache hadn't let up at all and if anything, it was getting worse. The pains were sharper than before and she had no idea why. And since the Doctor had skipped out temporarily, she'd just have to deal with it.

"So what work are you doing now?" She heard Rose ask. Cassie groaned inwardly, she absolutely abhorred small talk. There was no point to it. Just a noise to fill a space. She refused to do it, even if it was polite.

"Oh, now, brilliant idea," Pete enthused. Absolutely beaming that someone was interested in his work, "You know Henderson's Tower?"

"No," Rose answered as Cassie shook her head in the back seat.

"Exactly! It's going to be the next Rubik's Cube, only this is from Basingstoke. I met this guy at the horses, he's cutting me in on the copywright."

"But I've never heard of Henderson's Tower," Rose mused to herself.

"You will do!" Pete cheered. Cassie highly doubted it and with good reason. Since Both her and Rose were from the future and neither had heard of the _'next Rubik's Cube' _game, then it wouldn't happen.

"But I haven't which means … it's not gonna work," Rose worked out on her own.

"If it doesn't, I'm penniless," Pete admitted guiltily. Cassie guessed he must have invested quite a sum in this 'Henderson's Tower'.

"But … I thought you were a proper buisnessman," Rose asked, trying to make sense of the childhood story she'd been told by her mum, "That's what I was told."

"I wish! I do a bit of this and that. I scrape by."

"Right," Rose breathed, sitting back in the seat. A little deflated that an aspect of her perfect father image was tarnished, "I must've heard wrong. So, really, you're a bit of a Del Boy."

"Oh," Pete commented like he was wounded, "Shoot me down in flames. You're not related to my wife, by any chance?"

"Oh. My. God," Rose gasped as she thought more about her mother, "She'll be at the wedding."

"What," Pete wondered, listening to her confusing dialogue, "Jackie, d'you two know her?"

"I guess you could say that," Cassie spoke for the first time since they'd gotten into the car.

"Are you three mates then?" He asked, recklessly looking over his shoulder to glance back at Cassie.

"We … talk. Sometimes," Rose helped.

"Oh yeah? What's she told you about me?"

"She said you were brilliant," Rose praised him as her mother had when she'd been telling the stories. Happy to have a bit of the stories right, her parents madly in love, "That she'd picked the most fantastic man in the world. Someone who made her feel special, every day."

Pete gave her a queer look, "Must be a different Jackie, she'd never say that." Rose lost her smile again and frowned in thought before the radio switched over to something that was familiar but certainly not from this time period, "That Acid House stuff goes right over my head." Pete commented.

"That's not out yet," Cassie muttered as she switched from leaning against the back window to poised at the edge of the back seat between the two front seats. Rose reached for her mobile in her pocket.

"I'm … just going to check my messages," She said, to Cassie more than Pete.

"How d'you mean, messages?" He took his eyes off the road for a second to see her holding up a small device. Something way to small to be a mobile phone in their time, "Is that a phone?"

"Yeah," Rose hit a button on it and began to listen to something on it with a confused face. Pete just kept staring at her.

"Eyes on the road, Pete," Cassie told him gently. His head immediately snapped back to the road, remembering that he was driving. Rose held her phone away from her ear and looked at it like '_what on earth are you doing?_' Cassie held her hand out for the phone and Rose deposited it into her grasp. She held it to her ear and heard the most quizzical thing being repeated over and over again.

"_Watson, come here, I need you. Watson, come here, I need you. Watson, come here, I need you..._"

She also noticed the car behind them in the review mirror. It had the same person in it that was about to run over Pete. The kid threw his arm over his face and then disappeared as soon as they turned a corner. Odd.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor was retracing his steps back to the TARDIS with his head hanging in shame. Saying that to Cassie was uncalled for. She didn't push Rose to save her father, she'd even tried to restrain her. And the only reason she'd pitched the idea in the first place to him was the fact that she wanted to make her sister happy. He would give anything to make his brother happy again. Even if it meant tearing apart space and time. He shook his head in disgust at his actions before feeling something in the back of his mind. The feeling of being watched. He turned his head upward but saw nothing. Even with the proof of his eyes, every nerve in his body was telling him something was there. He squinted at the space until he broke contact and continued on his way.

He cautiously approached the TARDIS with key in hand. He knew the fondness his box had for Cassie and was not looking forward to facing her wrath. She did little things to annoy him. Refused to open, shut the doors before he'd made it through them, yell at him through shudders and groans. It wouldn't be pretty.

He slipped his key in the lock and was met with no resistance to open it. That was strange. Locking him out was one her favorite tricks to play on him. He flung open the doors and was met with the shocking image of an actual interior of a police box. He ran inside and touched every side in panic, almost trying to push the walls back to where they were supposed to be. This was obviously not working and he couldn't stand to look at the sight anymore. He exited the remnant of the TARDIS and looked around in a daze until he realized something.

"Cassie!" He cried before sprinting off the way he'd come.

_**CLDW**_

They had just turned a corner on to the street the church was on when all of a sudden a car appeared right in front of them.

"Dad!" Rose shouted as Pete spun the wheel, avoiding the car by sheer centimeters. Cassie, being the only one in the car that didn't have her seat belt on as she was still sitting between the two front seats, was thrown into the right side of the car, adding another pain to her head with the headaches.

Pete finally regained control and rolled them cautiously almost on to the sidewalk. They got out of the car, Cassie a little slower than the others, wanting to be sure she didn't have a concussion.

"It was that car, same one as before, where did it go?" Pete was shocked and stunned. He looked around trying to see where the car had gone but failed to see it, "It was there, right in front of us, where's it gone...?"

"It just sort of … vanished," Rose was looking around wildly, too. Almost as confused as him. Pete stared at her, recalling something she said in the car.

"You called me Dad? What did you say that for?" Rose didn't answer and shied away from him. He only shook his head and went to check on Cassie, who had her hands pressed against the car as she leaned over a bit, breathing deeply, "You alright?"

Cassie smiled up at him warily, "I'll be fine," she said breathlessly. Pete didn't believe her but his attention was pulled from her when Jackie spoke up.

"Oh, wonderful! Here he is, the accident waiting to happen! You'd be late for your own funeral and it nearly was!" Rose was just staring at her, almost laughing at the way Jackie was done up in 80's garb.

"No damage done," Pete defended halfheartedly.

"Oh, and who're they?" Jackie questioned trailing her eyes over the two girls that had gotten out of the car with Pete. The blonde one with her mouth gaping open was familiar to her, but the red-haired one that was shakily trying to slow her breathing down tugged at her heart-string a little. Her mothering instincts were kicking in and they were telling her to help the poor girl. But she didn't understand why. Instead of focusing on her caring side she focused her anger and right now it was aiming for the blond, "What are you looking at with your mouth open?!"

"Your hair," Rose answered truthfully, she just couldn't stop staring at it.

"What?"

"I've never seen it like-" she stopped herself before she said something she couldn't explain, "I mean – It's lovely, your hair's lovely." Her eyes drifted from her hair to the baby carrier in her arms, "And that … baby. That must be … your baby." Jackie looked at her like she was stupid.

"She does this a lot," Pete explained, "She's a little bit better, when she hasn't banged her head." He pointed to Cassie who was slowly regaining strength.

"Other ones of yours, are they?" Jackie almost spit.

"Why do you always think the worst?!" Pete tried to reason, "She saved my life!"

"That's a new one. What was it last time?"

"I didn't even know her! She was a cloakroom attendant!" Pete turned to Rose, feeling he needed to explain himself to her, "I was helping her look for my ticket. There were three dufflecoats all the same. Somehow the rack collapsed. We were under all this stuff -"

"Were you playing around?" Rose asked, shocked to her very core. But Cassie didn't think that was fair. Both Tyler women immediately assumed that Pete was lying through his teeth about the story. Cassie was giving the benefit of the doubt to him. It sounded like a perfectly probable story. But then again, Cassie did always expect the best in people. And sometimes they didn't deserve it.

"Oi!" Jackie called after Rose's question, "What's it got to do with you what he get's up to?"

"What does he get up to?"

"You'd know!" Pete finally had enough of the two blonde women screaming at each other and interjected.

"Because I'm that stupid. I play around, then bring two of them to meet the missus. You silly cow!"

"But you are that stupid!" Jackie spit-fired back. This was her territory, no could defeat her in an argument.

"Can we keep this for back home, just for once?" Pete asked in vain.

"What, with the rest of the rubbish?" Jackie scorned. Rose was starting to almost get delirious. This was nothing like how her mother described their marriage to her as child. She always made it sound like a fairytale. Blissfully happy. But this...? This was almost hell on Earth. And Rose just couldn't cope. Cassie saw Rose struggling to understand, so she pushed the last remnants of the blow away and strode over to comfort her as the screaming match continued. "You bring home cut-price detergants and tonic water and Betamax tapes and none of it works, I'm drowning in you rubbish." She swiftly turned to the two girls. She directed her rage again more towards the blond, "What did he tell you, did he say he's this big buisnessman? Cos he's not, he's a failure – born failure, that one!"

"Jackie, I'm making a living. It keeps us fed, doesn't it?"

"Rose needs a proper father, not one who's playing about like a big kid!" Rose finally couldn't stand it anymore. All the yelling and screaming were tarnishing the beautiful fantasies she'd made up in her head about their family. They were tainted with rage and disgust. She just couldn't let that happen.

"Stop it. You're not like this. You love each other." Both of them gave her looks as Cassie drew Rose back into her arms to get her out of the picture.

"You never used to like them mental, Pete. Or I don't know, maybe you did," Jackie snapped before turning to Cassie, "At least that one has a head on her shoulders!" She marched back to the bridal party who were trying their hardest to ignore them and give them a moment.

"Jackie, wait, listen-" Pete tried.

"If you're not careful there'll be a wedding and a divorce on the same day!" He groaned at her threat and fetched the vase form the car. He pulled out his keys and gave them to Rose.

"Wait here, both of you, give me a couple of minutes with the missus – tell you what, straighten the car up. And don't cause any more trouble!" Rose watched him go with a sad look on her face. This was wrong, on so many levels. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They had to make up. She didn't just change time and anger a Time Lord for nothing.

"They'll work it out, Rose don't you worry. See," Cassie gestured over to the couple and tuned out the bride and other bridesmaids to focus in on the Tylers.

"I'm not listening to this; it's the dufflecoats all over again," Jackie told him, more subdued.

"Sometimes a dufflecoat is just a dufflecoat," Pete comforts her, but that's not really what was bothering her, "Jackie. Things will get better. I promise."

"I'm just tired, Pete," Jackie confided, "I've had enough of all your daft schemes. I don't know where the next meal's coming from."

"I'll get it right, love," he assured her, taking her face in his hands, "I promise you, one day soon, I'll get it right." Their moment was broke up by a little, black boy in a tiny wedding suit that sprinted around the corner and without an adult following at his heels.

"Monsters!" He yelled out to the guests as he sprinted past them and into the church, "Gonna eat us!" The adults just laughed as Cassie followed him with her eyes.

"Oh isn't he sweet, what sort of monsters, sweetheart? Is it aliens?"

The Doctor was only two streets away when he turned the corner and saw the wedding party, with Cassie and Rose being the closest to him. "Cassie! Rose!" He shouted at them, but they couldn't hear him, "Get in the church!" They stayed still, unable to hear him properly. He took a deep breath to bellow.

"Cassie!"

They heard him that time and they both turned to look at him. Rose with a smile, Cassie with shock. "Told you he'd come back," Rose whispered to her.

"Get in the Church!" They heard him yell and Rose's smile faded. They turned to look up into the sky to see a figure materializing. It looked like a huge sci-fi dragon complete with red eyes. Cassie knew immediately that these were the Reapers.

Two screams suddenly ripped through the air coming from Rose and Cassie. Rose showing her pure terror of the creature in front of her. Cassie due to the crippling pain that tore through her head when the creature appeared. She toppled to the ground clutching at her forehead and lost consciousness. Adding the pain on top of her concussion was to much for her mind.

Rose was at a lost of what to do. The creature was swooping lower at them and Cassie was still sprawled on the ground. Luckily, she didn't have to make a decision as the Doctor scooped up Cassie bridal style without breaking a beat in his running and pushed her towards the church. Yelling all the way for people to follow them.

"Get in the church!" The Doctor yelled at the guests who were just staring at the creatures around them.

"My God. What are they? What are they!" A guest shouted. The Doctor shifted Cassie to one arm and started shoving people towards the old doors just as people started pouring out of the church to see what the commotion was about. A man at the forefront of the crowd who Cassie assumed was the groom considering her called out for the bride.

"Inside," the Doctor tried to urge the people.

"Sarah!" Stuart yelled and tried to close the space between them.

"Stay in there!" A man separated from the pack of people crowding the church and tried to run away from the terrifying creatures only to be consumed by one like he was eaten. With one of the creatures distracted, Sarah tried to make a break for it but another creature stopped in front of her. She screamed as the creature looked as if it was about to eat her when it changed direction and consumed the priest instead. Most of the the Reapers were either to distracted or to high in the sky to swoop down soon enough, so the Doctor urged them forward into the safety of the stone walls.

"In, in, in!" They sprinted, Cassie still securely in the Doctor's arms. As soon as the last guest crossed the threshold, the Doctor slammed the door in the monsters face causing them to shriek.

Before doing anything else, the Doctor gently laid Cassie on one of the pews and soniced her, read the reading. Satisfied that she wasn't in any immediate danger, he turned to address the rest of the people, Rose taking his place beside her. He started speaking over the hysterics of it being some kind of joke and it being Judgment Day.

"They can't get in. Old walls and doors. If they're from outside time … okay, the older something is, the stronger it is. What else?" he thought as he watched a shadow of a Reaper pass one of the huge stain-glass windows and realized something, "Check the other doors. Move!" Several people scrambled into action but before he could follow his own orders, Jackie cut him off.

"What's happening?! What are they?!"

"There's been an accident with time. A wound in time. I think they're like bacteria, taking advantage, streaming in from outside. I need to go check the doors and it would be very helpful if you kept an eye on my friend, Cassie there." He pointed to her on the pew.

"What's that mean, 'time', what are you jabbering on about, 'time'?-"

"Oh I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining, I haven't got time for this-"

"What are you on about? How d'you know my name? I've never met you in my life-" Jackie was becoming more and more hysterical with every breath and the Doctor was fed up.

"No, and you never will, if I don't sort this out – now if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this-" he readied himself for a very big moment in his life, "Jackie Tyler. Do as I say. Go and look after Cassandra Lee!"

Jackie gave him a slightly miffed look before complying, "Yes sir." She stalked over to where Cassie was laying and smoothed a fly away hair from her face.

The Doctor smiled to himself, "Should've done that ages back," he was about to get to his task when he was stopped again by the groom.

"My dad was out there, he sort of … vanished. With those things. Is he...?" He asked the Doctor seeing as he had all the answers. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor told him.

"Oh my God," Stuart choked out in grief.

"You can mourn him later. Right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive." He was about to go again when Stuart spoke up.

"My dad-" The Doctor cut him off.

"There's nothing I can do for him!" He said sharply, thinking the man in front of him was still focusing on his father's death.

"No, but he had this telephone thing, cost him a fortune, I can't get it to work, I keep getting this voice." He held the phone out to him and the Doctor snapped it up in new found interest. He held it to his ear and heard the same voice Cassie had heard only minutes before. He laughed at it.

"That's the very first phone call, Alexander Graeme Bell. I don't think the telephone's gonna be much use." He tossed the phone back to him.

"But someone must've called the police!" Stuart insisted.

"The police can't help you now, no one can." He turned his gaze on Rose as he continued, "Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time is damaged, and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything inside." Stuart looked at him with sad eyes before going to comfort his bride-to-be.

Rose saw his look from her place beside Jackie and Cassie and wondered something. She gathered her courage to actually go and talk to him, unknowingly looked upon by Pete.

"Is this because … Is this my fault?" She asked, unsure. The Doctor just looked at her darkly before going to finally check the doors. Rose cried softly to herself. What a mess this was.

_**CLDW**_

Pete was somewhere in the back of the church in one of those private rooms the priest and alter servers used. He was barricading the door when the Doctor strode in to check his work.

"There's smoke coming up from the city. But no sirens," Pete informed him, fear evident in his voice, "I don't think it's just us, those things must be over the whole city. I dunno. The whole world."

The Doctor wasn't really listening to him and was more focused on the window view to the outside. A second later a car came into view. The same car that kept following Pete around ever since Rose had knocked him out of the way. It turned the corner, gave a shriek of it's wheels, then vanished without a trace. Pete had heard the wheels. "Was that a car?"

"It's not important. Don't worry about it," the Doctor told him before leaving Pete to be puzzled at his words.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie groaned as she started waking up. The blackness was starting to fade from her eyes and she felt a stiff board on her back, her head was pounding out a rhythm fiercely. "Oh, my head," she muttered in annoyance.

"You alright, sweetheart?" She heard next to her. It sounded like Jackie's voice. Cassie immediately assumed she was home and somehow past out on the floor.

"I'm fine, mom," she said with out thinking. She rubbed her head with her hand and, almost like the rubbing brought the memories back, her mind was flooded with what had happened. She sat bolt up right to see herself lying in a church pew. Jackie was there all right but it was the 80's Jackie. Still in her wedding outfit. Shadows of the Reapers were passing by the windows and the smattering of guests were sitting at random places in the congressional seats. The Doctor was no where to be seen, but Rose was standing by a door that led to the back of the church. Pete wasn't to far away from her, just staring at her. She cautiously looked over at Jackie who was looking at her funny. "Sorry," Cassie apologized trying to think up an excuse for what she just said, "Still a bit delusional. Thought you were my mom for a second. It was Mrs. Tyler, right?"

"Jackie," the blond answered distractedly and with a hard-edge to her voice. Cassie followed her gaze and saw Rose disappear through the door and Pete follow her. She wondered for a minute why Jackie was upset about that, then she remembered Jackie thought her and Rose were Pete's 'lady friends'.

"Jackie," Cassie started, bringing the woman's attention back to her, "I just want you to know, your husband was telling the truth. Me and my sister really just bumped into Pete and we were going the same way so we came together. Nothing unsavory at all." Jackie was giving her a look that was wondering if she could be trusted, "And trust me. If Pete even had thought like that, which he never did, Rose would slap him so hard it could be heard in Norway." That gained a chuckle from the blond next to her before she just became all serious again.

"I want to believe him, but I just don't know if I can," she told Cassie, which surprised her. Usually she didn't tell total strangers things about herself. She could talk circles around them, but she never really gave them any information. But this girl was different. It was like she trusted her.

"Can I give you some advice?" Cassie asked, not wanting to say anything to offend her.

"Why not, s'pose," Jackie relented, "I'll try anything."

"I know it's not my place, but … from what I've seen from marriage. It's never something that comes easy and is perfect all the time. You've got to work hard at. And the tools to a good marriage are faith, trust, and understanding. And I know they have to be earned with time, but in order for it to happen, they have to be given." Jackie looked thoughtful at her words. They made sense to her, the problem was putting them in action. She did love Pete, with all her heart. It was just so hard with all his daft schemes. Sometimes they were successful and living large. But sometime, more often than not, they were scrimping and saving just to give Rose a proper meal. Life was hard enough without having to endure that. But she would try, more than she usually did. But it would be tough.

"Thank you," Jackie told the girl and gave her a hug. The girl returned it with ease, not in the least bit surprised that a complete stranger was hugging her, "But never mind me. How's your head?"

"Just have a pounding in it," Cassie admitted, she felt a large hand go to her shoulder. She looked up and saw the Doctor standing over her. A small smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Thank you for watching her, Jackie," the Doctor politely said to the blonde woman. Jackie smiled a little at them.

"My pleasure," she squeezed Cassie's hand before leaving to collect baby Rose who was being held by a friend a few rows down. Cassie looked after her with a smile, until a pang sounded in her head at the exact moment a creature attacked the wall of the church. She groaned in annoyance and pain, why was this happening?

"You all right," the Doctor asked, concerned.

"As good as anyone would be who conked out and keeps getting jabbing pains in her head," she told him, heavy sarcasm in her voice, "So, what's the diagnoses?"

"Your psychic ability has you more tuned into time than other people," the Doctor explained, "The creatures ripping through the time vortex are gonna be a strain on your mental walls."

"Brilliant," Cassie moaned. This just meant that she would be in pain until he came up with someway to save the day. Instead of joking back at her like she expected. He remained silent and refused to look at her.

"What's up?" Cassie questioned, a little unnerved at his silence. His head was hanging between his arms that were resting on his knees. It was an unusual position for him to be in. She'd seen his tenth incarnation in that position loads of times, and his eleventh. But rarely this one. His ninth liked to keep everything bottled up inside, which wasn't healthy at all but it worked for him. Seeing him like this made her all the more suspicious.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," the Doctor admitted after a minute, "Back at the flat. I blamed you for everything when in reality, you were the only one smart enough to tell us that it wasn't a good idea." He still hadn't spoken the words that would truly convey his feelings, but he was building to them, "I should have listen to you when you said it wasn't a good idea. I didn't even think about your 'feelings', I never do sometimes. But I'm gonna change that. I'm gonna stop acting like I know everything because sometimes you know more than me. I should have listened and I'm sorry."

Cassie's head was spinning a little, whether from the knock out or the Doctor's words, she didn't know. It was so rare that the Doctor said those words and for him to say them to her was amazing.

"It's alright, Doctor," Cassie said getting up to stretch her legs, "I forgive you." She smiled at him and he returned it. But there was something else, something he wasn't telling her. She could see it in his eyes, but she didn't want to push him any further today. Luckily, they were interrupted by the happy couple who's day had been ruined.

"'Scuse me, Mister, um...?" Stuart wondered as they came up to them.

"Doctor and this is Cassie," the Doctor answered, turning to them.

"Sorry to keep bothering, but … you seem to know what's going on," Cassie shrugged at his assumption. More often than not, the Doctor just made it up as he went along. But as he would observe later on in his life, he did it brilliantly.

"Both of us tend to give that impression, yeah," the Doctor admitted to them, surprisingly including Cassie.

"I just wanted to ask, I mean … I don't know what's happening and I think I'm gonna wake up soon cos it's all just barmy, but the thing is-"

"Can you save us?" Sarah interjected over her fiance's rambling, cutting straight to the point. The Doctor considered their question for a moment before Cassie elbowed him in the side.

"Who are you two, then?" The Doctor questioned.

"Stuart Hoskins."

"Sarah Clarke."

"And another on the way," Cassie observed from Sarah's expanded stomach showing through her dress, "Is it a boy or girl?"

"Dunno," Sarah admitted, "I don't wanna know. Though everyone says she's a girl, cos of the way she's sitting." Cassie smiled at that. She always loved the idea of children. She wanted to have at least three; two girls and a boy.

"So where did you meet, you two, how did all this get started?" The Doctor pried.

"Outside the Beatbox Club, down in the precinct, two in the morning," Stuart began with a smile on his face, remembering the night like it was yesterday. Cassie smiled also thinking of her own meeting with the person she loved. She'd met Chris on a school trip when she'd first been enrolled in high school by Jackie when they'd adopted her. They weren't headed toward Leadworth originally. They'd broken down of few kilometer's outside of the town and they had to walk the rest of the way. Much like in the previous universe, she didn't really get along with anyone in the class. She much preferred to write in her notebook than socialize. And that's just what she was doing when her teacher had gone into a little shop to ask for the nearest tow. A couple of girls in her class, who'd made their personal mission to alienate her just snatched the book right out of her hands and threw it in a near by puddle, soaking it thoroughly. They'd only stayed a second to laugh at her before being called over by some of the popular boys. She'd gone to pick the book up but was beaten to it.

Apparently, the Leadworth high school had been out for spring break leaving Chris, Amy, Rory, Mels, and Lily hanging out in town. And seeing a giant group of school children that had never been in the town before was the most interesting thing that was happening in Leadworth. Later told to her by Amy and Mels, the girls of their group were daring Chris to go and talk to her because he hadn't taken his eyes off her since he'd spotted her. If her book hadn't been thrown in the puddle, Chris would have never had the nerve to talk to her. He wouldn't risk embarrassment, but he'd be damned if people said he wasn't a gentleman. They'd actually hit it off and that was also the day she'd met the rest of the gang. But, unfortunately, the repair crew had finished quickly and her class had to leave, but they'd exchanged numbers and had been talking ever since.

"Street corner," Sarah continued, bringing Cassie out of her memory, "I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi."

"I took her home."

"Then what?" The Doctor prompted, "Asked her for a date?"

"Wrote his number on the back of my hand," Sarah laughed as she thought about it.

"Never got rid of her since. My dad said..." Stuart paused as he thought about his father's fate, "My dad said a lot of things." Sarah rubbed his shoulder in comfort.

"I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important-"

"Whoever would consider you not important?" Cassie questioned, cutting across Sarah. Stuart and Sarah looked at her like she was joking. They honestly thought they were nothing. But they were everything.

"Listen to me," the Doctor pulled their attention to him, smiling a little at Cassie for her words, "I've travelled to all sorts of places, I've done things you can't imagine. But you … street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home – I've never had a life like that. You don't know how important that is. Yes, I'll try and save you. I'll try me best, okay?" he smiled and they smiled back. Reassured by his words.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was searching for Rose to make sure she was alright for the time being. She was looking around the back of the church when she overheard a conversation between her and Pete.

"Time machine?" Pete asked laughing. Well, guess either Rose told him or he figured it out.

"I know!" Rose laughed back.

"Blimey, d'you all have time machines where you come from?"

"Only the Doctor's cool enough to have one," Cassie called out as she entered the room. Rose looked over and gave a sigh before going over to her and hugging.

"You're okay," she whispered in her ear.

"I'm always okay, sis," Cassie assured her with a wink.

"Sis?" Pete questioned, "As in sister. Do we have another daughter?" The hope in his voice was obvious. It almost pained Cassie to tell him no.

"Sorry," Cassie told him gently, "Adopted sister."

"Oh, well. I guess I'll look forward to seeing you one day," Cassie turned her eyes down. Apparently Rose hadn't told him everything.

"Yeah, me too."

"But, what are you doing here?" Pete continued on with his questions, "Did you know those things were coming?"

"No," Rose told him truthfully.

"Then...? God, I dunno, my head's spinning. What's the future like?"

"Not really any different," Cassie answered, trying to be vague. Not wanting to tell him to much.

"What am I like? Have I gone grey?" He wondered. Rose shook her head as Cassie took her hand. Knowing this would be difficult for her. "What, am I bald? Don't tell me I'm bald."

Rose still refused to answer so Pete moved on to something else, turning to Cassie, "So, if your mate isn't your boyfriend – and I have to say I'm glad," Cassie gave him a look wondering why. She could understand Rose, but her? "cos being your would-be adoptive Dad an' all, I think he's a bit old for you – have you got a bloke?"

"I did have, but I kind of ended it when I started travelling. Rose has got a man, though," Cassie glanced over at Rose and was met with a surprised look. Oops, guess she forgot to tell her about her and Chris' little talk.

"Yeah," Rose tuned back to her dad, giving Cassie a look that said '_We'll talk about this later_', "His name was-"

"Mickey!" Cassie heard Jackie call while the child screaming about monsters from before ran into the room and glomed on to each leg of Cassie and Rose. Cassie studied the boy's face and actually did see Mickey's features there. Rose just looked down shocked, having seen pictures in Mickey's flat from when he was that old.

"You know him?" Pete asked, amused at the child's antics.

"I just … didn't recognize him in a suit. You've got to let go of us, sweetheart," Rose told him gently unhooking his hands from around both their legs, "I'm always telling him that."

"He just grabs whatever's passing and holds on for dear life," Jackie commented more to Cassie than anyone else. Seeing as she was the one she was least angry with, "God help his poor girlfriend if he ever gets one."

"All of us were just talking-" Pete told her, feeling like he owed her an explanation. Jackie looked as if she was about say something sharp, but she looked over at Cassie who gave her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Okay, just come and find me later. Have a visit with your daughter. Come on, Mick," she serenely led Mickey out of the room. Much to the shock of Rose and especially Pete.

"What was that?" He asked, gobsmacked.

"That was your wife giving you the benefit of the doubt," Cassie informed him. He looked after Jackie for bit before starting after her. But Rose stopped him.

"You can't tell her."

"Why?" Pete asked.

"Where we're from, Jackie is confused on how to work the video recorder," Cassie informed him.

"But I showed her that last week," Cassie and Rose looked at him for a moment before he got it, "Point taken."

_**CLDW**_

Somehow, in the span of sheer minutes, Cassie and the Doctor had been given baby Rose to look after while Jackie went off to do something else. Something about keeping one of the guests out of the sacramental wine. She'd really given her more to Cassie to watch than the Doctor, but they were both watching her equally.

"Now the," the Doctor cooed at baby Rose. Cassie smiled at the Time Lord's affinity with children. She'd always loved watching him interact with kids, "Rose, you're not going to bring the end of the world, are you? Are you?"

Cassie spotted older Rose walking out of a door near them and give them a look. "Mom gave her to us to look after," she explained.

"How times change," the Doctor commented about the fact that the older version of Jackie didn't trust him to look after one of her daughters that could actually take care of herself, but trusted him with a little baby girl that was dependent on him.

"She really gave her more to me," Cassie joked at him. He smiled back, glad to be in the place where they'd been in their friendship. Rose looked on with relief, happy to see them back together and tentatively tried to join in.

"I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted on Mickey like a mother chicken." Cassie laughed a little at her joke. Mickey did seem to have an odd attachment to her. But it just made them a cuter couple.

Rose was encouraged by her laugh and hesitantly tried to bond with them through the baby. Well, herself. She reached out a hand, only to have it slapped away by the Doctor. Cassie slapped him on the shoulder for his rudeness, he just shrugged it off.

"Don't touch the baby," the Doctor began his explaination. A bit harshly in Cassie's opinion, "You're both the same person, that's a paradox. And we don't want a paradox, not with those things outside. Anything new, any sort of time disturbance, makes them stronger. A paradox might let them in"

"I can't do anything right, can I?" Rose asked sheepishly.

"Rose, do-" Cassie tried but was cut across by the Doctor and his snide comment.

"No you can't, since you asked, so-" he turned to make a point in her face, "Don't. Touch. The. Baby!" Cassie groaned as she saw another argument brewing.

"I'm not stupid!" Rose shot back.

"You could've fooled me!"

"Okay, that's enough," Cassie shouted and grabbed on to each of their ear lobs. They both yelped in pain. The Doctor more than Rose, since she was use to Cassie's little maneuver to win arguments. "You two need to stop shouting, and have an actual conversation. Now I'm gonna let go and that conversation is gonna start now. You got that?" Rose and the Doctor nodded feverishly. She released and they both immediately clutched their ears.

"Never do that again," the Doctor told her, a finger in her face.

"Conversation," Cassie reminded him. He held his hands up in surrender.

"All right, look," he turned to talk to Rose, "Sorry. I wasn't really going to leave you, either of you," he glanced over at Cassie.

"I know," Rose said softly.

"Between us three," he leaned in, "I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out."

"You'll think of something," Rose assured him.

"I agree," Cassie added.

"The entire Earth is being sterilised. This, and a few places like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold on for a while, but nothing can sto-" he cut off when he saw Cassie hand go up. "Yes?"

"Are you about to go into epic speech mode?" She asked innocently.

Both him and Rose gave her a strange look, "What?"

"Have you ever noticed that in order to get a point across that you make this long winded speech about?" Cassie explained, "You did it to me when we first met, about the Earth spinning. Than I bet you did it to Charles in 1864. And Cathica nearly had her head spinning when you were done with her. So, you see? Epic speeches." She smiled at their confused looks and laughed when the Doctor just turned to ignore her comment.

"They'll get through in the end, the walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws that stopped this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're gone. And now I'm going the same way." Cassie put an arm on his shoulder in comfort.

"I didn't know. If I'd realised..." Rose trailed off seeing her sister and him having a moment. They were actually rather sweet together, but she much preferred Chris.

"Just..." the Doctor started, "Tell me you're sorry." Cassie smiled at his effort. He might be dark and brooding an a good day, but he really had a kind side to him, when he wanted to show it.

"I am. I'm sorry," Rose said genuinely, moving closer.

"Okay," the Doctor accepted. Cassie decided on a sneak attack and grabbed them both into a hug. She heard them laughing at her until she felt something. It was something warm and it was coming from the Doctor-side of the hug. He was wearing a leather jacket so it had to be incredibly hot for her to feel it through the fabric. She pulled away, surprising them both.

"Have you got something hot?" She cautiously reached inside his inner jacket pocket and felt around. She hit something and immediately grabbed it to pull it out. But it started burning her fingers and her instincts kicked in, flinging it across the room, a slight gasp coming from her lips. The Doctor followed the glowing object with interest in his eyes.

Cassie rubbed her fingers together to ease the pain and followed him over to where he was kneeling. The shape of the object was obvious, it was a key.

"The TARDIS key," the Doctor whispered. He pulled his jacket off to protect his hand from the heat. He grabbed it off the floor and examined it closer, "It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS!" He tore out of there like a bat out of hell with Cassie close at his heels and Rose looking after them like they were crazy.

_**CLDW**_

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound," the Doctor explained from the podium on the alter of the church to the people throughout the pews. Cassie was standing next to him, "But we can use this to get it back. And once I've got my ship, I can mend everything! I just need a bit of power."

"Does anyone have a battery," Cassie called so the people in the pews would understand what he essentially needed. A few of the people looked around, not knowing what to do until Stuart noticed his dad's phone.

"This one big enough?" He picked up the phone to show them.

"Fantastic!" The Doctor and Cassie said together before going to get the battery out.

"Good old dad. There you go-" The Doctor soniced the battery.

"Just need to charge it up. Then we can bring everyone back. We can save the world!" The Doctor cheered before knuckling down to work. Cassie by his side keeping him company while he worked.

The Doctor had been working for a while and Cassie had gotten bored and began flipping through her diary absentmindedly. She found that the father into the book she went, the more she'd written. And it made sense, a little. The older episodes she'd remember less of. The more recent ones were almost clear. After all the last episode she'd watched was the Series 8 finale with the 11th Doctor and Clara. That was a long way away from here.

"Do you know what's gonna happen?" Cassie squeaked in surprise of the Doctor's question. They had been sitting in silence for the most part and his question was unexpected. She glanced over and saw him eyes on the diary in her hands, his hands still working away at the key and battery.

"Not really," Cassie admitted, "Some of the entries are a little obscure. I only get like a few words at times. And they don't really tell me the part of the e-" she stopped herself before she said 'episode'. That would be to hard to explain, "The adventure." He seemed to consider her words for minute.

"I sometimes wonder about your 'feelings'."

"Do you?" Her heart rate picked up a little. Of course she was going to tell him about the show someday. She just didn't know if she was ready for that day to be today. Plus, she did know how the Doctor would react. In his terms, she'd lied to him for so long. The only reason she hadn't told him the whole truth, was because she wanted him to like her for her. Not the fact that she had knowledge of the future that could help him. She wanted to be a friend, not an asset.

"Their to accurate at times," he explained his thinking to her, never taking his eyes off his work, "Like you know exactly what's going to happen. I'll admit, your psychic ability should give you some vague knowledge of the future, but not a play by play sneak peak."

"What do you thinks up with it?" This was not good. Not good at all. He was so close to saying the truth. He was too clever for his own good.

"I sometimes wonder if you haven't seen this all before," He continued. Oblivious to the look on Cassie's face.

"That would be silly," Cassie insisted. Her voice reached a higher pitch in it's nervousness. He looked up and observed her face, seeming to search for something. Before he could find anything, the battery beeped. "Is it ready?" Cassie asked with hope in her eyes.

He smiled up at her and ran to the front of the aisle. He stuck the key into almost an invisible lock. And when he let go, it stayed there. Along with the incredible floating key, a faint outline of the TARDIS began to form around it. It was slow going but the noise was comforting to Cassie. It felt like it'd been years since she saw the TARDIS. She gently held out a hand close to the outline as the Doctor made an announcement.

"Right, no one touch the key, have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, they'll be … well, zap – all right? Just leave it be, and everything's gonna turn out okay. We're getting out of here. All of us. Stuart. Sarah! You're getting married, just like I said!"

Cassie looked around at the range of emotions in the room. A lot of them had the look of skepticism. But there were a few, like Stuart and Sarah, that had the look of hope in their eyes.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie plopped down next to Rose followed by the Doctor. They watched the TARDIS forming at the front for bit, just breathing the feeling of relief that this would soon be over.

"When time gets sorted out-" Rose began cautiously, considering Pete was sitting a few rows behind them

"The wound gets healed, everything back to normal. Everyone will forget this happened," the Doctor answered, not really telling her what she wanted to know.

"But don't worry," Cassie picked up for him, "The … thing you changed will stay the same. Like you wanted it to be." Cassie squeezed her hand.

"You mean, I'll still be alive," Pete spoke up to them. They turned to see him just staring at his hands, "Although I'm meant to be dead." He turned to them to read their faces. The Doctor and Rose were just shocked. Cassie looked sad, as if she wished he'd never figured it out, "That's why I've never done anything with my life."

"The world doesn't work like that," Cassie told him, wanting him to believe he was special.

"Rubbish," he scoffed at them, "I was so useless I couldn't even die properly! And now it's my fault that it's the end of the world!"

"It's my fault," Rose peeped up. Pete looked over at her with a sad smile, not noticing Jackie walking up behind him with baby Rose in hand.

"No, love. I'm your Dad. It's my job for it to be my fault."

"Her Dad?" Jackie breathed out. Pete turned in surprise. Jackie glared at all of them in turn, Cassie more than anyone else. It felt like a betrayal, this girl had been so nice to her, had helped her. But she was lying the whole time. "How are you her Dad?"

Pete looked at Rose for second before turning to Jackie, "It's time you knew, love."

"You what? Oh that's disgusting," Jackie spit, looking Rose over, taking in her age, "How old were you twelve?"

"Jackie-" Cassie tried, stepping closer. Jackie only stepped away from her like she had the plague.

"I've had enough of your lies. To think I actually listened to you," she growled, venom seeping through her voice. The Doctor pushed the girl behind him, not entirely thinking why since this was her mother. He just wanted to protect the girl who seemed to be shrinking with every word Jackie said to her.

"Jacks, just listen. This is Rose-" Pete tried again but was cut off by Jackie in a rage.

"Rose?! How sick is that?! Did you give my daughter a secondhand name? How many are there, d'you call the all Rose?!" She was slowly approaching hysterical.

"Oh for God's sake, look! When I say Rose-" Pete plucked baby Rose out of Jackie's hands and began to place her in teenage Rose's arms. "It's the same Rose, don't you see?!"

"No, don't!-" The Doctor yelled. He pulled baby Rose out of teenage Rose's arms and handed her back to Jackie, but it was too late. The paradox had taken place, causing one of the Reapers to materialize into the church. People screamed as the scrabbled.

"I'm the oldest thing in here!" The Doctor yelled, pulling Cassie along with him to the center of the room, "Everyone get behind me!" The guests complied and gathered behind them.

"Doctor!" Rose called not exactly sure what happened amidst all the confusion. The Reaper headed toward them. The Doctor stood protectively in front, Cassie just inches behind him. As the creature swooped lower and lower, Cassie could almost see the scene play out in front of her. The Doctor would be eaten and everyone would lose any kind of hope they had. She had to stop it.

Just before the Reaper would be right on top of him, the Doctor squeezed his eyes closed and Cassie took her chance. The Doctor was taken by surprise as he was shoved sideways. He looked up just in time to see Cassie consumed in his place.

"Cassie!" He and Rose shouted at the same time. The Doctor scrambled to the place she'd disappeared. The only thing left was her diary that had fallen out of her back pocket when she'd pushed him. He picked it up gently, cradling it to his chest and softly caressing the spot on the floor. He didn't even get the chance to tell her.

While the Doctor was in his own little bubble of grief on the floor, the creature continued gliding around the room, terrorizing people. It flew across the front of the chapel, running straight into the TARDIS key. The creature disappeared into a bright light and a shriek. The key dropped to floor with a thud. Rose sprinted over to it to pick it up.

"It's cold," she whispered. From the way Cassie had reacted pulling it out of the Doctor's pocket, she knew it should have been boiling hot. "The key is cold." She looked over at the Doctor crouched on the floor with the diary in hand. The expression on his face was heartbreaking. He looked so lost, alone. Like he'd lost everything he'd held dear. And in a way he had.

"Oh my God, she's dead. My sister's dead," Rose was slowly losing control of her emotions. In her eyes, she was the reason Cassie was gone. Pete came up to her to try and comfort her, but she pulled away, not wanting to deal with it right now. He payed her rejection no mind and pulled her into his arms.

"It's all my fault. Both of you. All of you! The whole world!" The Doctor looked up at her words only to glare at her. He agreed with them. This was all her fault. Her own sister was gone from her mistake. She'd practically taken Cassie from him, stolen her away. He didn't know if he could ever forgive her for this. He took one more look at her sobbing in her father's arms and retreated back into his world.

_**CLDW**_

Pete was in the back pouring a glass of the communion wine. He had to sneak back here before his wife could see him, considering she gave one of his mates an earache for trying to drink, but he really needed it. The world was going to hell and being over run by giant alien dragon things, the future version of his daughter had come back in time to save him from dieing; causing all of this, his wife thought he had millions of other daughters with the same name as their daughter, his future adopted daughter had just gotten eaten by one the creatures, and that man that seemed in the best position to save them all was now a mute on the church floor where said adopted daughter had been eaten. It was a long day.

He looked out the window for he thought was one of his last views of the world as it was, when he saw a car pass by. A car that was very familiar. It turned the corner and disappeared. Pete moved closer to the window, thinking he'd imagined it. But then it appeared again, repeating its actions and it disappeared again. He stepped back in awe, figuring out what exactly he could do to stop all this.

_**CLDW**_

Pete strode back into the chapel, a new determination in his face, "Stu, Sarah, the wedding's still on, okay?" They looked at him like he was crazy. He payed them no mind and walked over to Rose who was still sniffling in a pew that was as close to where the Doctor sat as she dared, trying to be as close to Cassie as she could. "The Doctor cares about you," he stopped when the Doctor turned his head to glare at him, obviously contending his assumption, "Well, he cared about Cassie and thus about you through her," the Doctor turned his head back to the floor, "He didn't want you to go through it again, not when there might be another way. But now there isn't."

"What are you talking about?" Rose chocked out of her raw throat.

"The car that should have killed me, love. It's here. It's come for me," he smiled down at her shocked look, "See, I'm not so daft after all. The Doctor worked it out way back, soon as he saw the car, but he tried to protect me. Still. He's in no state to be in charge any more. I am." He ignored the tiny scoff he heard from the Doctor's direction.

"No," Rose whispered.

"It's another way to heal the wound. It has to be."

"You can't..." Pete silenced her protests by placing a hand on her cheek.

"Who am I, love?"

"My Daddy."

"What d'you mean...?" They heard Jackie ask behind them.

"Jackie, look at her. She's ours." He took hold of both women's hands bringing them closer together. Jackie looked Rose in the eye for minute before realizing why she looked so familiar. She was theirs.

"Oh God," she whispered as she grabbed Rose into her arms. They stayed like that until Jackie realized something and pulled back, "Pete, I..."

Pete stopped her, "I'm meant to be dead, Jackie. You're gonna get rid of me. Peace at last."

"Don't say that," Jackie told him, on the verge of tears.

"For once in your life, trust me. It's gotta be done. You've got to survive, cos you've got to bring up our daughter and her adopted sister. You old nag." They threw themselves into a kiss that was the last kiss they would have. It was sweet. They both reluctantly broke and Pete turned to Rose. "I never read you those bedtime stories, or took you on those picnics. I was never there for you."

"You would have been," she sobbed.

"But I can do this for you. I can be a proper Dad to you now."

"It's not fair."

"I had all these extra hours," Pete tried to gently lead her to letting him go, "No one else in the world has ever had that. On top of that, I get to see you. And you're beautiful. How lucky am I? So come on. Do as your Dad says." Rose hesitantly picked up the vase and handed it to him. Before exiting the church he went to kneel by the Doctor on the ground. "Thanks for protecting me."

"I didn't do it for you or for Rose," the Doctor snapped, "Cassie grew attached to you and she never wanted to see Rose unhappy. And she paid the price for it." He glared at Pete again before turning back to the floor.

"I'll bring her back," Pete swore, "I promise." The Doctor didn't answer.

_**CLDW**_

Pete stepped out of the church door and looked around for the car and the Reapers. The creatures noticed him and started their decent at the exact moment the car reappeared. Pete spotted it and sprinted to it, avoiding the creatures as best he could. He reached the street and looked at the on coming car, "Good-bye, love," he shouted. The vase crashed to the ground as the car hit. The creatures screeched in pain as they vanished for good.

Rose sprinted out of the church when she heard the creatures scream. It was just like the first time they'd been in this era. Her father laying lifeless on the ground with pieces of the shattered vase around him. She didn't know she could handle it again after all she'd been through. Rose felt a a hand on her shoulder and thought for a second it might have been the Doctor, but she turned and was met with cobalt blue eyes and ginger hair. Cassie smiled at her sadly, "Go to him." Rose nodded before giving her a quick hug and dashed off.

Cassie turned back to the church to find the Doctor sitting on the floor with her diary in his hands. She smiled at his little position, "I'm gonna need that back," she called to him.

The Doctor wiped his head around at the same time he stood up, turning in one swift motion. She would have laughed at his comically wide eyes if not for the emotion that he tried to hide in them. It was almost the same expression that came to his face whenever he thought of the Time War and his people. Before she could think further on this, he rushed forward and engulfed her in a hug. He slyly pushed her diary into her back pocket as she giggled at his actions, "Miss me much?"

"What?!" He jumped back in surprise.

"Nothing," she laughed at his discomfort, "Nothing at all."

They walked out of the church to see a crowd of people forming around the entrance. They were all watching the scene in front of them. Rose was on her knees by her Dad, crying. Cassie went to her and cradled Rose in her arms. The Doctor just stood by not making eye contact with anyone.

_**CLDW**_

"The driver was just a kid," Jackie explained to little Rose, "He stopped, he waited for the police. It wasn't his fault. For some reason, Pete just ran out. People say there were these girls. They sat with Pete while he was dying. The blond held his hand while a ginger comforted her. Then they were gone. We never found out who they were."

_**CLDW**_

Rose slowly stood up from her father's side and took Cassie hand. "It's okay Rose. It's gonna be okay," Cassie whispered to Rose.

They walked toward the Doctor in silence. The Doctor looked at their intertwined hands for a second before grabbing Cassie's hand and leading them back them back to the TARDIS. He didn't say anything to Rose as he set the controls and he refused to leave the TARDIS when Cassie went go to say good-bye to her family. It would be a long time till the Doctor was able to forgive Rose for what she did. A long time.

**A/N: Hi all! I am so so so so so sorry for not updating in a like a month. School was crazy busy with the play and science fair. And I know some of are saying that it doesn't matter how fast I update just that I do, but I feel like I'm letting my fans down if I don't do it soon and that makes me sad :'(. But yeah, so this is Father's Day and I honestly have to say that it has grown on me. When I first saw it, I didn't think much of it. But after writing it out and thinking about all the reactions I actually really liked it. But I still think Rose was bone dead stupid for doing that. Everyone knows that if you mess with time lines things get all wonky. How could we not with the 'Back To the Future' movie series. That's like one giant give away to Not. Mess. With. The past! Sorry, happy place, happy place.**

**So notes on the chapter. First off, Cassie being affected by the creatures through her psychic ability I think is plausible. Everything exists on different planes and having psychic abilities cause you to be tuned into certain aspects of that plane. Since Cassie's 'feelings' help her tell things about the future than she'd be tuned into the time portion of the plane and the reason the creatures were there in the first place was the rip in time.**

**I really wanted to give Cassie someone to bond with. And since Pete was already taken by Rose and Cassie doesn't really know him that well. Plus Jackie just seemed so shrew and I wanted to at least give her a redeeming quality in this episode aside from loving Pete.**

**And last but not least, Cassie getting eaten by the creature. I loved writing that! I felt like I wanted to see the Doctor's reaction to this. For one thing, Cassie didn't cause the rip in time so he would have different feelings for her than he did for Rose. And also, Rose needed to be sad over someone getting eaten and she didn't have the same relationship with the Doctor as she did in the series. **

**I'm so proud of myself. Biggest chapter I've written so far! Teehee!**

**So read, review and don't despair. My next chapter will be up soon! Roughly. Sorry. :)**


	11. Chapter 11: The Empty Child

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

Cassie was nestled up against her head board in her room with a book on her lap. The crisp pages gave off a distinctive smell that told her it was new edition. Which was an amazing feet since it was Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_. Her jukebox was playing one of the few Mozart songs Cassie was able to find on it, softly. It was mostly for background music. Cassie couldn't stand silence. While living with Jackie and Rose in the middle of London was nice and noisy, the natural silence of any room just put her on edge. It reminded her to much of her old home. Almost everywhere was silent there. Even with it next to a major city, their town board had voted to erect one of those sound blocking board lines to keep the city noises out. They worked so effectively that, if you forgot where you were, you could swear you were alone. She hated the feeling. She'd been alone most of her life, with a spattering of friends through her school career. But that wasn't the reason why she disliked silence.

She had gotten use to being alone, she was fine with it. But the silence reminded her to much of home. Of her family, her mother, father, sister. She missed them so much and she hadn't stopped thinking about them ever since she'd disclosed her soul to the plant of Platform 1. It may have been weird but it was like a bit of closure. And after seeing the normalness of Adam's house when they left him there and when they'd stopped home to pick up and drop off Rose, she'd been thinking about them more and more. She loved her life on the TARDIS, but she missed the simple things her old life had to offer and she couldn't share it with anyone but a broody Time Lord that was unbearable at times. Cassie sighed as she turned the page.

She felt a slight warming sensation in her mind. A soft caress that made her a little less sad. Cassie giggled lightly and thanked the TARDIS in her head for the comfort. She always thought of the TARDIS as a mother, always looking out for her. She'd never tell the Doctor but sometimes, when she was just sitting in the console room doing nothing and he was under the floor trying to fix something, she would try and project her thoughts and talk to the TARDIS, mostly comments about him. The TARDIS answered back through slight shutters and sensations in her mind. The TARDIS had the best stories about what the Doctor did when he was off by himself inside her walls. She once told Cassie about why she needed to draw up a new kitchen from her archives all due to a dodgy recipe for Jammy Dodgers. Cassie had laughed so hard that the Doctor had come up and checked on her.

Just as Elizabeth was about to read the note that Mr. Darcy had left for her, the lights in Cassie's room dimmed and the Cloister bell began to ring. "Please don't tell me it's Belgium time yet," Cassie huffed as she marked her place and put the book aside before grabbing her diary. She headed out the door towards the console room.

"What's the hell is going on?" She yelled as she stumbled across the floor in an effort to get to the console.

"It's mauve," the Doctor cheered as he pressed a few more buttons, bringing up an image of a long object flying through the vortex in front of them.

"What's so important about mauve?" Her fingers curled around a dent in the side.

"It's the universally recognized colour for danger," he explained as he dashed around the console once more.

"And did red get flown?"

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing," He seemed to lose his train of thought as he absentmindedly flew the TARDIS.

"Anyway?"

"What, oh," the Doctor realized when Cassie jumped into his ramble, "Sorry, it's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

"And it's going a safe route?"

"Totally!" Something sparked on the console causing it to burst into flames temporarily. The Doctor and Cassie flinched back from the flames until they stopped and latched back on. "Okay, reasonably! Shoulda said 'reasonably' there."

"It's flickering, should it be doing that?" Cassie observed of the object on screen.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor begged, "Jumping time tracks, getting away from us!"

"What is it that we're following?"

"No idea." Glee creeping into his voice of the unknown. So like him.

"Then why follow?"

"It's mauve and dangerous..." he listed the reasons as he danced around the console, "...And about thirty seconds from the centre of London!"

"Just perfect," Cassie growled at the object that was steadily disappearing from the scanner. It was gonna be one of those days.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie groaned inwardly as she stepped out of the TARDIS and into an alley. She didn't like alleys. They didn't sit right with her. They always seemed to be hiding something that didn't want to be found. But then again, her opinion was biased considering what had been done to her in an alley.

The alley itself aside, it was disgusting. Dirt seemed to be everywhere and not just run of the mill dirt. It was something that reminded Cassie of a specific time period, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?" The Doctor asked, since the last few adventures had been in someway or another affiliated with the Earth.

"Fifteen days," Cassie answered automatically. The Doctor gave her a look, "Last time we needed milk."

"All the species, in all the universe – and it's gotta come out of a cow," he followed the passage of the alleyway as he spoke, "Must've come down somewhere quite close – within a mile anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Probably a month."

"What did you do to get it so far ahead of us?" Cassie asked trying to read the bedraggled posters that were illegible.

"I didn't do anything," the Doctor protested, "It was jumping time tracks all over the place – you want to drive?"

"Maybe I would," she teased with a smirk. She was always trying to get him to teach her how to pilot the TARDIS.

"That'll be the day," he laughed. What he didn't know was that the TARDIS was already teaching her. Showing her what levers did what. How she reacted when he flew it (most of that lesson was on the 'what-not-to-do' list). It was really interesting.

"So, how exactly are we gonna find it? Scan for alien tech?"

"Cassie, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask," he said to her like she was child.

"There are quite a few things that could do just that, Mr. Spock!" She yelled as he went into a night club, ignoring her calls. She was about to follow when she heard something.

"Mummy?" She looked around but didn't see anything. Something about the faint voice didn't rub her the right way. It sounded empty, cold. Like it was alone and searching. She glanced upward just in passing and froze. A tiny child was standing by the edge of roof just looking over the city. A gas mask was covering his face, "Mummy?" She spotted a fire escape close by and began to climb it. _What would a kid be doing up on a roof wearing a gas mask, _Cassie thought. The cold metal snapped at the skin on her bare hands as she climbed and made her regret her decision even more.

She reached the roof of the building, looking around for the little boy she'd seen. But the roof was empty. She whirled around in confusion, hoping her climb hadn't been for nothing. She did a 180 and finally came across a secondary roof for the staircase up. And of course the child had to be up there. She jogged around the structure, trying to find the way the boy had gotten up there.

"How did you get up there?" Cassie muttered out loud. Unless the child was raised wild and had the ability of a monkey, there was no possible way for him to get up there. She did one more circle around and had almost given up hope when she came upon a rope that had definitely had not been there before.

She touched the mysterious new purchase with uncertainty. It was far to much of a coincidence for it to just appear. She tugged it to check it's stability and was satisfied by it. She was never good at climbing the rope in gym, but the debris piled next to the building helped as footholds. Her arms began to ache slightly half way up and the only way to take her mind off of them was to mutter darkly under her breath about kids and the stupid places they climbed. It especially wasn't helping that the entire time she was climbing the child kept repeating 'mummy'.

She'd just reached the top and was about to let go when the kid actually said something different, "Balloon." He pointed up and Cassie glanced in that direction only to freeze in awe as she saw the rope she was currently climbing was attached to a barrage balloon. Her loosened fingers quickly clenched over the ruff material that was irritating her skin as the balloon travelled away from the building, and taking her with it.

She gazed down frantically as the stone roof disappeared from under her and was replaced by the destroyed city. Fires blazed miles beneath her, smoke trailed upwards to cloud her vision. Her breathing picked up as she glanced around and saw a fleet of bomber planes heading straight her.

"Shit!" She squeaked out.

_**CLDW**_

An officer on a balcony of a near-by casino was looking out upon the bombarded city through a pair binoculars. To anyone else looking at the make of them from they outside, they looked like perfectly ordinary, WWII surveillance equipment. But to the man looking through them at the moment, they were anything but ordinary. Along with giving him an image of what was in front of him, they also gave the exact distance the image he was viewing was and the heat signature of the image. With these binoculars, you could see across battlefields, into the deepest pits of an ocean, and on a clear night; to some parts in the atmosphere of a planet.

However, the owner of these particular pair of equipment was looking at a remarkably pretty red-haired girl dangling from a random barrage balloon. Only in London.

"Get those light's out, please. Everyone down to the shelter," an officer called to the casino guests, immediately jumping into action when he heard the siren sound. The guests were filing out reluctantly, not wanting to leave their winnings (or lack there of) to take cover in the bomb shelters. The only ones staying put were the man looking through the binoculars and a different soldier, trying to gain the binocular man's attention.

"Jack? Are you going down into shelter?" the soldier asked, seeming to hope for a no, "Only I've got to go off on some silly guard duty." He noticed the far away scene that had the other man, Jack, so enraptured, "Ah, a barrage balloon, eh? Must've come loose. Happens now and then. Don't you RAF boys use them for target practice?" Through his college's long ramblings, Jack had used the controls on his device to zoom in on the dangling girls bum as she swung his way in an effort to hang on.

"Excellent bottom," Jack exclaimed absentmindedly to no one in particular, not having even noticed the appearance of the other soldier. The officer in question just had a slightly surprised and a little bit pleased look on his face at the mans brashness.

"I say, old man, there's a time and a place. Look, you should really be off."

Jack came out from hiding behind his binoculars to reveal his face. And what a face it was. He had dark, almost raven colored hair gelled in the a 40's style. His piercing blue eyes made you feel like they could see into your very soul. His lips were almost perfect as they framed a brilliantly white smile. His eyes sparkle at his mates suggestion. "Sorry, old man. I've got to meet a girl. But you've got an excellent bottom too." He patted his bum for good measure and swagged off, leaving his partner completely speechless.

_**CLDW**_

High above the ground Cassie was switching from chastising herself for being so stupid as to actually trust a random rope that just fell out of no where and giving herself encouragement so that her fingers wouldn't slip from their position. She was holding on remarkably well and she wasn't moving an inch now that she had a good hold on the rope. She almost breathed out in relief before a bright light blinded her. She clenched her eyes shut to try keep the light out, not wanting anything to distract herself from her goal of not falling.

"Let go!" A voice on speaker told her. Her first action to those words was to snort loudly.

"Not bloody likely!" She shouted back, curling even more around the rope.

"Feisty! I like it! But, trust me! I've got you!"

"Well then, I better listen to a stranger over a loudspeaker who's telling to willingly plunge to my death," Cassie snapped back. She wasn't usually snappy, but hanging from a barrage balloon in the middle of a London air raid was not the best for nerves.

"Do you want to stay up there until a German bomber guns you down?" Cassie thought for a second. She really didn't have anymore strength to stay clamped to the rope, if they waited a few minutes, she would probably let go involuntarily. She took a deep breath and began to count.

_One...Two...Three_, her fingers slid from their position on the rope and immediately ached with exertion. She had the slight feeling of falling for a split second before being caught by something. She opened her eyes a smidge to see herself just suspended in mid-air and engulfed in the blinding light. She heard a chuckle over the comm..

"See, told you I had you," the voice announced with pride.

"But, the question is, by who and how?" Cassie shot back, still not comfortable being held in the air by an invisible force.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern," the voice called, not really answering her questions, "keep still and keep your hands and feet inside the light field.

"Oh, great! Another techy with a bad sense of humor," Cassie spat with sarcasm dripping from her tone.

The voice just ignored her, "Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone?" Cassie laughed hollowly as if he was making a joke, "No, seriously, it interferes with my instruments."

"You've got to be kidding," Cassie grumbled through gritted teeth as she tried not to jostle herself to much trying to get to her phone in her back pocket. Praying beyond belief that it didn't get caught on her diary and cause the book to fall to the depths below. She punched the off button and watched as the screen faded to black.

"Thank you. That's much better."

"Yeah, cause with me hanging in the middle of an air raid with bombs going off beneath my feet and planes swooping in at every angle, my mobile being off is really a big priority!"

"Be with you in a moment," the voice called back with a laugh.

_**CLDW**_

Inside the spaceship that was emitting the tractor beam that was holding Cassie in place, Jack sat. Consulting with his computer.

"The mobile communications device indicates non-contemporaneous life form."

"She not from around here, no. Especially with that accent."

_**CLDW**_

"Ready for you," Jack called over the comm., "Hold tight!"

"To what, exactly?" Cassie called, frantic.

"Fair point," Jack laughed. With out warning, Cassie was rocketed forward like a bullet from a loaded pistol. Her scream was at a frequency that could only break glass. The burning London whooshed passed, becoming one blurry streak. The light that was holding grew even brighter till it hurt her eyes. She closed them on instinct and suddenly felt a pair of arms catch her as her feet hit the ground.

"I've got you. You're fine, you're fine," Jack told her reassuringly. Cassie's eyes flew open immediately, coming face to face with the gorgeous blue eyes of Captain Jack Harkness. A very blurry Captain Jack at that. Her eyes just couldn't seem to focus, "The tractor beam, it can scramble your head a little." Well that explained that little aspect.

"Hello," Cassie laughed out, blinking rapidly to try and clear her vision.

"Hello," Jack's blurry blob answered. The blinking was not working. She could tell he was still staring at her.

"What?"

"Are you all right?" He asked, a little shocked that she hadn't been more pleased with his good looks.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, confused. Cassie tried to wiggle out his arms and try to stand. But he wasn't having that.

"You look a bit dizzy."

"Your head doesn't even have a proper shape," Cassie shot back, a little drowsy. She tried one more time to get released, but that only resulted in her passing out instantaneously. Jack laughed at her strange response and gently put her down on a near by bunk to sleep off the transport. Not the usual activities of a Time Agent.

_**CLDW**_

"Sounds like it's gonna be a long one," a girl with dark hair plaited in braids commented to the children in front of her. She had just finished carving the giant turkey at the head of the table.

"Got to be black market," a boy sitting next to her joked, "All this, look at it. Couldn't get all of this on coupons!"

"Ernie!" The girl chastised, "How many times? We are guests in this house! We are not going to make comments of that kind," she paused as she considered his punishment, "Washing up!"

"Oh, Nancy!" Ernie whined as the other children laughed. Nancy ignored him and glanced over at the boy sitting on the other side of her.

"Haven't seen you at one of these before."

"Please miss, he told me," he pointed toward the boy on his left.

"Sleeping rough?"

"Yes, miss," he admitted reluctantly.

"All right then," she nodded as she passed the plate of turkey slices to him, "One slice each. And I want to see everyone chewing _properly_." The children giggled slightly as they snatched a slice off the plate when it was handed to them. Being polite as they went.

"Thanks, miss."

"Thanks, miss."

"Thanks, miss," a deep voice rang out, causing all the children to jump and look over at the Doctor sitting at the corner of the table; taking two slices off the plate. The kids immediately made to run away when Nancy stopped them.

"It's all right," Nancy assured them, "Everybody stay where they are. He shouldn't be here either." The children cautiously sat back down and kept one eye on the Doctor at all times.

"So, you lot," the Doctor continued. Trying to put the children at ease around him, "What's your story?"

"What you wanna know for?" A kid asked, "You a copper?"

"I'm not a copper. What's a copper going to do to you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving?" The Doctor joked, earning a laugh from the group. They had relaxed a tad and began to eat the food they had on their plates. "I make it 1941," he continued, "You lot shouldn't even be in London. Should've been evacuated to the country by now."

"I was vacuated," the new boy told him, "Sent me to a farm."

"So why'd you come back?"

"There was a man..." he trailed off, sharing a somber nod with the rest of the children around the table.

"Yeah. Same with Ernie. Two homes ago," another kid called out, only to be hit on the shoulder by Ernie.

"Shut up! Better off on the streets anyway. Nicer food."

"Yeah. Nancy always finds the best meals," the Doctor looked over at Nancy to see her glaring at him suspiciously.

"So that's what you do, is it, Nancy?"

"What is?" Nancy asked with a little attitude.

"Soon as the sirens go, you find a big, fat family meal, still warm on the table with the whole family down the air-raid shelter – and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London town. Pudding for all, as long as the bombs don't get you." The Doctor explained with a smile.

"Something wrong with that?"

"_Wrong _with it? It's _brilliant. _Not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical." The kids gave him quizzical looks, not entirely sure what he was talking about.

"Why did you follow me? What do you want?" Nancy demanded.

"I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone, gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favour," Nancy said. "I told you not to answer it. All I'm gonna tell you."

"Thanks, great," the Doctor joked before he remembered the other question he wanted to ask, "Also I need to find a ginger that's a little sassy. I mean a specific one, I didn't just wake up with a craving. Anyone see a girl like that?" The children laughed as Nancy stormed over to him and took his plate away, "What did I do wrong?" He asked innocently.

"You took two slices. No gingers, no sass. Anything else before you leave?" The children all 'Ooh-ed' as Nancy scolded him.

"Yeah, actually, one more thing, thanks for asking..." he searched around one of his jacket's many pockets. He produced a tiny notepad and one of those small golf score pencils. He started drawing a crude picture. "Something else I'm looking for. Would've fallen from the sky about a month ago – but not a bomb. Not the usual kind anyway. Wouldn't have exploded – probably just buried itself in the ground. And it would've looked something like this." He held up the notepad that had a very sketchy picture of what looked like a very bad sausage with lines on it. Before anyone could acknowledge the sketch, a knock was heard at the window. All the children immediately turned toward the window while the Doctor looked around at their expressions.

"Hello? Something wrong?" He finally turned toward the window and caught sight of a little boy with a gas mask on. The same boy that Cassie was following before. He had his hand pressed against the window like he was begging to come in. The Doctor didn't really understand why the kids and Nancy were so scared of a little child, just like them.

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy asked suddenly.

"Him," Ernie pointed at the Doctor.

"He came in the back," Nancy told them, shaking her head, "Who was the last one in the front?"

"Me," the new boy admitted in a whisper.

"Did you close the door?" Nancy asked desperately. The boy stuttered as he tried to remember. To scared that he would get kicked out or attacked by whatever the other children were so terrified of if he answered no. One of the children gasped as the gas-masked child left the window and headed toward the door. Nancy rushed into the hallway, followed closely by the Doctor. Nancy practically threw herself on the door to close it as the child appeared just beyond the threshold. The Doctor observed this with curiosity.

"What's this about?"

"Shh!" Nancy beseeched with a finger to her lips. A knock sounded at the door and made Nancy jump away from leaning against it.

"Never easy. Being the only child left out in the cold." The Doctor said slightly disapprovingly.

"Suppose you'd know," Nancy said off-handedly.

"Yeah." Nancy turned to stare at him.

"It's not exactly a child." The Doctor frowned at her words, but before he could ask her to elaborate, the child outside spoke.

"Mummy?" The Doctor recognized the voice as the same voice on the TARDIS phone, "Mummy?" Nancy pushed the Doctor out of the way to get to the other children.

"Right. Everybody out," she told them, "Across the back garden, under the fence."

"Mummy?" The child called again. This seemed to do something to Nancy.

"Now!" She snapped at the children who had yet to move. "Go! Move!" the children gathered up their coats they'd taken off and rushed out the back except one little girl.

"Mummy!"

"Come on," Nancy encouraged the little girl still at the table, "Baby, got to go … it's like a game, just like chasing-" the girl let Nancy lead her out and the teen passed her off to another child.

During the evacuation, the Doctor was slowly inching closer to the door. A tiny hand with a scare on the back appeared, stuck in through the letter slot. "Let me in," the voice begged, "Please mummy."

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked cautiously.

"Please let me in?"

"Are you looking for your mummy?"

"I'm scared," the voice tells him. Reaching it's hand in even further, "Don't leave me alone. Please, mummy." The Doctor was reaching out a hand to him when a vase smashed against the door, causing the hand to withdraw. The Doctor looked back and saw Nancy standing there, having thrown the vase at the door.

"You mustn't let him touch you!"

"What happens if he touches me?" the Doctor asked, trying to get any information from her.

"He'll make you like him."

"And what's he like?"

Nancy stared at him before speaking, "I gotta go," she turned to run but was caught by the Doctor swinging her around again.

"Nancy! What's he like."

She paused as she considered, "He's empty." The Doctor stared at her in confusion. None of this was making any sense. The phone ringing cut through the silence and caused both of them to jump. "It's him." The Doctor gave her look, asking with his eyes how he could ring the phone, "He can make phones ring. He _can_. Just like with the police box, you saw!"

The Doctor let go of her wrist and picked up the phone, "Are you my mummy?" He heard the child over the line. Nancy snatched the phone from his ear and slammed it down. But all the technology in the house suddenly come on. The radio, a music box, a child's toy. The gas-masked child's voice was coming out of all the machines. "Mummy? Mummy? Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"

"You stay here if you want to!" Nancy yelled, completely freaked out by the situation. She raced down the hallway and out the back door.

"Your mummy isn't here," the Doctor said to the radio. All the machines inside suddenly stopped.

"Are you my mummy?" This one came from the child behind the door.

"No mummies here," the Doctor turned back to the door, "Nobody here but us chickens." He looked around and amended his statement, "Well. This chicken."

"I'm scared. Let me in. Please."

"Why are those children frightened of you?" The Doctor asked, trying to get answers from the source.

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs." The Doctor lifted his hand to the bolt of the door. He never could really stand children crying or being frightened. Even if it was an ominous child that was slightly creepy. "Please, mummy. Please let me in. I'm scared of the bombs, mummy."

The Doctor's hand was shaking slightly. He took a calming breath, "Okay. I'm opening the door. I'm opening it now." He saw the child pull his hand back outside. The Doctor took that as an acknowledgment. He quickly unlocked the bolt and opened the door … to an empty street. He exited the house to see if he could find the child walking away from it. But there was nothing. Now that was very interesting.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie groaned awake as her vision came into focus. She saw the ceiling of a bunk as she blinked away the blurriness. She turned her head sideways and saw a view of Jack's back sitting in his high tech chair. The technology around him blinked in multi-coloured lights and hummed at different pitches. It wasn't very bright, but she thought that was probably better that way for right now. She cautiously sat up and was very aware of the slight nausea that had settled into her stomach. It was a nice spaceship, a bit to bulky and flashy for Cassie's taste, but not all space travel could be the TARDIS.

"All better now?" Jack called without turning around. Cassie jumped in surprise and ended up banging her head on the bunk above her.

"Ow! Warn a girl, will you?" She complained loudly as she massaged her head.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Jack apologized, spinning around in his chair. Reaching out a hand to help, but was stopped with a held up finger from her. He settled back in his chair and snapped the lights on. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Cassie sighed, "So who are you, then?" She asked, keeping up the appearance that she didn't have a clue who he was. With the way Jack was now, he would not take kindly to her knowing a lot about him.

"Currently? Captain Jack Harkness, 133 Squadron, Royal Air Force, American volunteer." he gave her a wallet that looked suspiciously like the Doctor's and smiled at the image on it. She kept her thoughts in check. Because while she wasn't actually checking him out, she didn't want her whole story to be splashed across the paper.

"Fibber," Cassie countered.

"You think?" Jack countered back. Slightly cocky.

"This little bit of paper is called psychic paper. Whatever you want me to see, gets put on it." Cassie rattled off.

"How'd you know?" Jack asked, a little impressed.

"Two reasons. One, friend of mine uses this like it's a second limb. Two, this ID you just showed me says you're single and you work out." She giggled a little at his slight blush.

"...Ah! Tricky thing, psychic paper," Cassie laughed, checking her thoughts one more time before handing it back to him.

"Gotta watch your mind when giving to someone," she watched his eyes light up as he took the paper back, then felt like laughing even more when they dimmed in disappointment.

"Quite," he responded back.

"Problem?" She asked at his pout.

"Just, thought your mind would slip, too," Jack pouted even more.

"So what does mine say?"

"Your name's Cassandra Lee. You're a traveller. And your only seventeen years old," he pouted with each sentence, especially when he came to the little fact that she was underage. Cassie just had to laugh at his face. It was just so adorable!

"Sorry to disappoint you." She turned her back to get a look at the rest of the ship.

"Oh, wait! Wait!" Jack cheered, causing Cassie to whip her head around and see a giant smile on his face. His finger was emphatically pointing at the slip of paper, "There's one little line at the very bottom! Says you still considered yourself in a relationship, _but _you're keeping an open-mind!"

"It does not say that!" Cassie nearly tore over to where Jack was, but he held the paper out of her reach.

"I think the words you used were _absolutely _and _positively_." He laughed as Cassie managed to rip the paper out of his hand and throw it across the room.

"No more psychic paper!" She pointed a finger at him and he held up his hands in a mock surrender. They fell into a strangely comfortable silence. Cassie was silently stewing and Jack was trying hard not to laugh. It was a much different relationship than Rose and Jack had together. Rose always flirted with him and made it impossible to actually get comfortable. But this was more along the lines of how she and Mickey interacted. Like siblings.

"You got a nice ship," Cassie commented, cutting into Jack's silent giggles.

"Gets me around," He off-handedly said, getting back to his chair.

"It's a bit flashy, but very Spock." Spock was like, her person of the day. Always needed to be brought into the conversation.

"Very what?"

"No, Spock? Well certainly not from this planet."

He jiggled a few switches before addressing her again, "A touch screen cell phone, cubic zirconia earrings, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades. Guessing you're not a local girl."

"Bingo!" Cassie called as she looked over the city. She gently leaned her hand against the wall, only to hiss in pain and recoil them to her chest.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" Jack asked in concern. He headed over to her to examine them. He gently held them apart and looked at the blisters scattered over her palms.

"Must've," a bomb whistled past as Jack spoke again.

"You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are," his toned hadn't changed but it seemed as if these words held a hidden menace in them, "I can spy a Time Agent a mile away."

"Can you now?" Cassie teased him unknowingly. Not very good at 'I Spy' then if he didn't know she wasn't a Time Agent.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up," Jack continued as he untwisted his scarf from around his neck, "Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

"Only when I'm being a complete idiot. Um, what are you doing?" Her sentences almost blended together as Jack wrapped his scarf around her wrists, holding them securely in place.

"Try to keep still," he warned her as he pushed a button on the wall. A cloud of golden dust suddenly appeared above Cassie hands and set to work on repairing them.

"Nanogenes," Jack explained, taking Cassie wide-eyed expression as confusion, "Sub-atomic robots. The air in here is full of them." The dissipated, leaving Cassie hands good as new, "They just repaired three layers of your skin." He untied the scarf and drew away from her, just staring at her hands.

"Nanogenes," she whispered, the word sparking something in her mind. She sat back down on the bunk to think more on the word.

"Shall we get down to business?" Jack asked with a smile.

"Business?" Cassie asked absentmindedly.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" He opened a hatch that led to outside of his ship, "Bring up the glasses," he called as he ascended the stairs. Cassie spotted the glasses he was referring to but didn't get them right away. She pulled her diary out her back pocket and flipped to the page she wanted.

_Nanogenes_

_Gas-masks_

_Mummy?_

_**CLDW**_

Nancy slowly made her way to a run down shack, hidden in a railroad graveyard. She swiftly put away the food she'd managed to grab before _he _had shown up, in her hidden compartments. She turned to leave to gather more food before the raid was over, and came face to face with a smiling Doctor. "How'd you follow me here?" She demanded, not at all comfortable with being easily followed.

"I'm good at following, me," he answered simply, "Got the nose for it." He tapped it as Nancy giggled when a thought occurred to her.

"Is that why it's so..." She trailed off, rethinking her statement.

"What?" He questioned.

"Nothing."

"What?" The Doctor insisted.

"Nothing," Nancy said slyly. She glanced at his ears for a minute, "Do your ears have powers too?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Goodnight, Mister," Nancy told him. Planning on leaving him to stew in silence. But his voice stopped her.

"Nancy, there's something chasing you and the other kids. Looks like a boy and it isn't a boy, and it started about a month ago, right?" Nancy turned back to him with suspicion in her eyes. Why was he still on this? "The thing I'm looking for, the thing that fell from the sky, that's when it landed. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?" He'd seen her reaction to his words at the dinner table from the corner of his eye. She'd recognized what he'd been describing and she'd been familiar with the shape he'd sketched.

"There was a bomb," she started slowly. Almost summoning up the strength to talk about it, "A bomb that wasn't a bomb. Fell the other end of Limehouse Green Station."

"Take me there," he demanded.

"There's soldiers guarding it. Barbed wire. You'll never get through."

"Try me," Nancy looked at the man, trying to read him on his comments. It was strange for someone not to be scared away at the situation that was happening all around her. The children only stayed because they had no where else to go. Plus they didn't know any better.

"You sure you want to know what's going on in there?"

"I really want to know," the Doctor answered innocently. Nancy considered a moment before conceding.

"Then there's someone you need to talk to first."

"And who might that be?"

"The Doctor."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie glanced down at her phone to check the time, careful to balance it with the champagne in her other hand. It was really late. And unless the Doctor had found something to occupy himself with, he would be looking for her. Just like that time she'd been invited to discuss literature with Lord Byron at his summer house and the Doctor had rushed in shouting about how no _vampire _was going to eat his companion. It had been one of the most mortifying moments in her life. The only good thing about it was she'd actually seen the famous Romantic poet laugh at the Doctor's antics. The Doctor left idle was just a recipe for disaster.

But considering the gas-masked child running around, the whole reason she'd ended up on that barrage balloon; she figured he had plenty to work with. "Getting late, I should head back," she told Jack across the mid-air parked-next-to-Big-Ben-could-be-invisible-at-times ship.

"We're discussing business," Jack protested.

"This is getting drunk on top of a spaceship, not business," Cassie teased.

"I never do business with a clear head," Jack joked, topping off his glass with for of the liquor, "Are you travelling alone? Are you authorized to negotiate with me?"

"Negotiate what, exactly?" Cassie remained ambiguous, enjoying seeing him in his 'work mode'. Even if it was to con her.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy," Jack explained, getting straight to the point, "Are you in power to make payment."

"Probably not," Cassie admitted, "I'm really more of my friend's companion."

"Companion?" His eyebrows were slightly raised in excitement. She could only imagine the scene he had cooked up in his mind.

"Not like that!" She shoved him a little for that thought. "And I should be heading back. He'll be worried."

"He?"

"God, how can you see anything up here," she held up her phone to try and get some light from the screen. She just ignored his question with a smirk. Before she could continue, Jack had taken out a remote and switch on Big Ben with a _Gong! _He looked at her expectantly. She just stared back.

"Am I supposed to be impressed," teasing him even more at his pout, "Pull a bunny and a two ton bag of candy out of your coat pocket, then I'll be impressed," Cassie said, thinking back to when the Doctor was searching for his sonic screwdriver and had produced exactly that. Jack just looked away in slight frustration. She was a hard nut to crack. Usually women just swooned at his baby blue eyes and his dazzling charm.

"When you say companion, how disappointed do I need to be?" Jack continued, trying a different tactic.

"Very, considering _he _is not the reason you should be disappointed." Cassie thought on that for a moment. Was that accurate? Sure her and the Doctor were good friends. They'd gotten each other out a few scrapes. But it couldn't be anymore than that, could it? Usually, if you asked Cassie who made her heart beat fast and her palms get all sweaty, she would answer Chris in a heartbeat. But with all she'd been through, and the kinda-sorta break up with him, the Doctor had been the answer to that question on many an occasion.

"Oo, a bad girl, I like that," Jack cooed, touching her arm suggestively, only to frown as she retracted it uncomfortably. It was like every move he had did the exact opposite to the girl in front of him. It was driving him mad! How could a girl resist this much charm in one go?

"On an invisible spaceship in the middle of the Blitz, not exactly the best time to come on to me," Cassie remarked stiffly, looking away from him, shuddering a little bit. That was not the feeling she associated with Jack, he was always like a big brother to her. She'd never had a brother so it made him even more special to her. It just felt wrong for him to be that way to her, even if she'd never met him before.

"Perhaps not," Jack slide away from her, feeling disgruntled. This was odd in a way, for once a woman didn't see him just as a body. A pretty face. It was unusual, but he liked it. For once, he was a person, not just sex on a stick. He smiled ruefully at this little enlightenment. Cassie saw the smile and smiled back, offering him a hand.

"You like to dance?" Cassie asked, with a small curtsy. Jack took her hand and lifted the little magic remote. "Moonlight Serenade" filled the air around them.

"Do _you _like Glen Miller? Become quit partial during my stay," they swayed side to side, Cassie's hands around his neck; Jack's around her waist. Cassie basked in the easy silence before Jack began to whisper in her ear. Not in a sexy kind of way, just like, he had a secret that he wanted to tell her. "It's 1941. Height of the London Blitz. Height of the German bombing campaign. And something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence. The last of the Chula Death Squad, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is – cos I parked it. If the agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. In two hours' time a German bomb is going to land on it, and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Shall we start talking payment?"

Cassie pouted as he steered the conversation back towards business. He really was no fun. "You know what I'm thinking?" She asked mischievously.

"What?"

"I think you're far to serious," she exclaimed with a laugh. Jack had to school his features into a mask to stop from laughing with her.

"Two hours," Jack urged her, "The bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater." Cassie just gave him a skeptical look, "You listening to any of this?"

"I think I've got the gist," Cassie smirked, "Ex-Time Agent, now a glorified freelancer."

"Oh,you wound me," Jack laughed at her, "I prefer to think of my as a criminal."

"You would," Cassie muttered to herself.

"Okay, this man of yours that you're a companion to, does he handle the business?" Jack questioned.

"He does know a lot about that," Cassie giggled as she thought of the Doctor's business style. Yelling in the persons face then blowing up the ship.

"Well! Maybe we should go find him!"

"You got a way of doing that?" Cassie egged on, wanting to find the Doctor.

"Easy! I'll do a scan for alien tech!" Cassie smiled at his words as he got to work on his manipulator. Looking very Spock without the pointy ears.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor followed Nancy down a flight of stairs till they were a little ways away from a military sight. He took out some high-tech binoculars to view the sight more.

"The bomb's under the tarpaulin," Nancy told him as he found it in the center of the sight, "They put a fence up over night. See that building?" She pointed towards a structure in the distance, "The hospital."

"What about it?" The Doctor asked, unconcerned about the place.

"That's where the doctor is. You should talk to him."

"For now, I'm more interested in getting in there," he murmured, watching the movement of the guards patrolling the area.

"Talk to the doctor first," Nancy insisted.

"Why?"

"Because," Nancy began as if it were obvious, "Then maybe you you won't want to get inside." She began to leave him with her bag clutched in her hand.

"Where're you going?"

"There was a lot of food in that house. I've got mouths to feed," she turned away again muttering to herself, "Should be safe enough now."

"Can I ask you a question?" The Doctor questioned and continued before she could answer, "Who did you lose?"

Nancy froze in her walk and turned slowly back to him, "What?"

"The way you look after all those kids," he observed, "It's because you lost someone, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it."

"My little brother," she said after a pause, "Jamie. One night I went looking for food. Same night that thing fell," she gestured toward the sight, "I told him not to follow me, I told him to it was dangerous, but he just... He just didn't like being on his own."

"What happened?"

She smiled ruefully at him, "In the middle of an air raid? What do you think happened?"

"Amazing," the Doctor laughs to himself. Earning a strange look from Nancy.

"What is?"

"1941. Right now, not far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it. Nothing. Until one, tiny, damp little island says no. No. Not here," the Doctor looked around, as if seeing the entire British Commonwealth next to him, "A mouse in front of a lion. You're amazing, the lot of you. Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me." Nancy watched him for a minute more, "Off you go then do what you've got to do. Save the world." He strolled casually away. Being watched only for a second by Nancy before she ran off in the other direction.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor stood in the hospital Nancy had pointed out, staring dumbstruck at the man in front of him. Dr. Constantine, or he had been up until a couple of second ago. In those tiny time counters, his whole physiology had changed and he was one of the gas-mask people.

"Hello?" Echoed throughout the quiet of the hospital. A man's voice. The Doctor vaguely wonder who would be in a basically quarantined hospital. He got his answer when another voice accompanied the first.

"Hello?" Cassie Lee, instead of him finding her, she found him. He didn't like his companions to wander off, but it was nice that some managed to find their way back on their own. But it seemed she'd picked up another person on the way. He exited the room and followed the corridor till he spotted two figures coming towards him. The smaller figure, Cassie, raised her hand in a wave. While the man called out.

"Good evening. Hope we're not intruding. Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over." Jack, apparently, gave him a cocky smile. The Doctor doubted that and looked over to Cassie for clarification.

"About us being Time Agents and everything," she said with a fake smile. The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. Time Agents? He vaguely recalled something in the back of his mind, but it wasn't really important.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Spock," Jack clapped him on the shoulder before making his way to the ward the Doctor had just come from. He didn't notice the Time Lord's eyes turn wide at the name and Cassie turn giggly. As his back entered the room, the Doctor immediately confronted Cassie.

"Mr. Spock?!"

"I had to tell him something," she defended, "Can't exactly call you 'The Doctor', can I? Plus John Smith's to mainstream. You should really think of something more permanent. Like Steven Morrison!" He looked at her funny," What? Don't judge my names."

He just rolled his eyes, "Nine centuries in, I think I'm coping with just the Doctor. And where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who said anything about strolling? My ride was a barrage balloon. It's the only way to fly." She said off-handedly, stunning him for a second time this evening.

"What?!"

"And you're gonna have to tell me what a Chula warship is," she called over her shoulder as she followed Jack into the ward.

"Chula?!" He yelled after her before following.

_**CLDW**_

Jack was frantically running from patient to patient in the ward. Checking, double checking, and triple checking that his results were the same. Every single patient in this ward, on that floor, in the hospital maybe, had the exact same injuries. "This is just impossible," he told them as he went to another patient. Cassie watching confused, the Doctor with stern eyes. "How did this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked, almost seeming to sense that what he said wasn't the whole truth.

"What?"

"A warship, he said," Cassie interjected, "Stolen property, parked near by where a bombs gonna fall on it unless we make him an offer he can't refuse." She was slightly amused by the expression on Jack's face, but had a pit forming in her stomach about the con he was attempting to pull. Like everything was connected. And maybe it was.

"What kind of warship," the Doctor tried again. Jack's eyes seemed to flick around the room, searching for an exit point.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this," Jack shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.

"This all started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship," the Doctor insisted.

"An ambulance!" Jack finally admitted with a yell, exasperated by the bombardment of questions. "Look," he brought up a hologram on his manipulator of the space junk they'd been following before this all started. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you into thinking it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of that. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle, love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait." Jack turned his attention more to the hard eyed man. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Cassie's eyes that he knew would be there.

"Bait," Cassie muttered to herself at how stupid that idea was. Any type of bait would lure the Doctor in, even if it was a tiny flag saying, 'Come try our Super Mega Meaty Sparatinie (Extra Meaty)'. But Jack took her words as a question.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk," he still didn't make eye contact with her. Feeling to ashamed of himself.

"I guess it is considered a war ship. They do have ambulances in wars," Cassie said to Jack more than the Doctor, who had to smile a little at her. He knew what she was doing. Trying to tell him it was okay. He had no doubt that she had already known it was a con and had only played along for two reasons. One, to maintain time lines, and two, because she honestly liked him. It was a typical Cassie move. Only Jack couldn't see it.

"It was a con," Jack admitted, finally looking her in the eye, "I was conning you. That's what I am, I'm a con man!"

"As if I didn't know it the whole time," Cassie giggled as she reached out for his hand to squeeze it. He was confused for a second before he saw the warmness in her smile. The laughter in her eyes. She honestly was okay with him conning her, because she'd known the whole time and was just playing along. She'd truly stayed with him to get to know him as a person. He laughed a little at her before taking her into a one armed hug. He didn't know what it was, but he felt an odd connection to the girl. And he liked it. The Doctor, however, did not. He glared slightly at the arm around her shoulders. It was an odd possessive feeling, going through his body. Like he didn't like Jack playing with his things.

"Should've known you weren't Agent's," Jack began again, "I mean, Hippie Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captian?" Cassie and the Doctor looked down at their clothes. Cassie figured her clothes did have a sixties quality to them. A flowy, white shirt with wide boot-cut jeans that could be mistaken for small bell bottoms. Flat sandals, a peace sign necklace, and free flowing hair. "Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship."

"Any clues to what is going on here, Doctor?" Cassie asked, knowing he would have a million idea's bristling through his mind.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot," he stated simply.

"Clarify please," Cassie demanded playfully.

"I don't know how to. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why?" The Doctor paced between two beds, trying to rig up a brainstorm, "What's the point?"

_**CLDW**_

Nancy laid hidden under the dining room table of the house she'd previously been in, hiding from the gas-masked child that followed her everywhere. She quieted her breathing to not give herself away. But, unfortunately, an apple fell from her pack and landed behind the child. He turned to pick it up. As he was bending down, Nancy tried to make a break for it, but the door slammed shut with just a finger point from the little boy. He began to back her into a corner.

"Are you my mummy?"

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor and Jack were both lent over some bodies, examining them again, trying to get something; anything they'd missed. Cassie was standing behind them, admiring them work like team. Suddenly, the gas-masked people shot up.

"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" They were all screaming at once.

"What's happening?" Cassie yelled over the chorus of 'Mummy's', having a brief flash of a dark-haired girl with braids that was called Nancy in her memories.

"I don't know," the Doctor called. The patients and Dr. Constantine were slowly approaching them, backing them against the wall. Cassie knew something bad would happen if they so much as grazed knuckles. They would become like them.

_**CLDW**_

The boy kept coming closer to Nancy, breaking through any obstacles she put in his way. "Mummy?"

"It's me, Nancy!"

_**CLDW**_

"Mummy?"

"Don't let them touch you," the Doctor called, keeping in front of Cassie and Jack. More for Cassie sake than the others.

"What happens if we touch them?" Jack asked the obvious question.

"We become empty, like them," Cassie whispered, her voice laced with fear and sadness. Jack looked over at her, wondering how she managed to know that if she'd been with him the whole time. The Doctor only nodded, chalking it up to her feelings.

_**CLDW**_

"Are you my mummy?" The child asked again, making his way closer and closer to the frightened girl.

"It's Nancy, your sister."

_**CLDW**_

"Help me, mummy!" The patients crept nearer to the trio being shmushed into a tiny group.

_**CLDW**_

"You're dead, Jamie," Nancy lamented, "You're dead!"

"Mummy, mummy."

_**CLDW**_

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

**A/N: We have know entered the Jack Harkness Zone. Squee! I just love his character so much! He's so perfect in the role of big brother. Cassie's opinion for what they did with him in the original series is my own. I just keep rewatching the episode over and over again and each time Rose tries to flirt with I'm just like, 'No. You don't need to do that. You've got someone at home. Remember!'. It just annoyed me to no end. But then Rose cooled her jets and actually got to know him and became little sis and the series got better. I just can not see Jack with anyone other than Ianto. Especially Gwen! (Sorry to all you none Torchwood fans out there if you don't know who I'm talking about with Gwen and Ianto. Check the spin-off series Torchwood to get acquainted with these characters. It's seriously awesome!) **

**Anyway, down to serious business. Yesterday I read something on an author's note of one of my all time favorite authors on FF. She's had a mad case of plagiarism and has dealt with it awesomely. But apparently someone read her story and the plagiarizer's stories and accused her of lying (after the person had changed their story to not plagiarize her). This just made me think. I'm okay with flames (I don't like them, but I accept them). If you don't like something about my story, tell me about it. I know I don't get back to many of you with my mad school schedule (thank God summer's almost here!) except if I'm answering a question or something, but your reviews really mean a lot to me. I'm trying to rectify the 'reply' situation so hopefully you'll be hearing from me soon, and I do take your critiques to heart and try to better the story from them. Just putting that out there.**

**Did anyone catch the subtle hint of Jack's reaction to Cassie's 'abilities'? It was very slight but it will grow to something bigger. Will Jack accept Cassie excuse of psychic ability and 'feelings', or will he press more into the truth and find out her secret? Oh, promises, promises ;-).**

**I'll try and get the next chapter up soon so you're not hanging on a cliffy. See you soon. *Waves excitedly before skipping off into the sunset*. **


	12. Chapter 12: The Doctor Dances

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

The Doctor had a determined face on as he stepped forward towards the gas-mask zombies that were almost with-in touching distance. "Go to your room!" The Doctor demanded sternly. The people stalled a few inches away from them.

_**CLDW**_

Jamie paused and tilted his head in front of Nancy. As if listening to another voice in his head.

_**CLDW**_

"Got to your room," the Doctor said again, "I mean it. I'm very, very angry. I'm very, very cross. Go. To. Your. Room!" Cassie's eyes swiveled over the crowd in front of her. They slowly inched backwards, heading back to their respective beds and chairs. Settling back into their catatonic state.

_**CLDW**_

Jaime exited the dining room with his head held in shame. Nancy went to the window to watch him as he continued down the road, "Jaime," she whispered sorrowfully.

_**CLDW**_

"I'm glad that worked," the Doctor sniffed, "Those would have been horrible last words." Cassie laughed and got him in a hug from behind.

"You sent them away with a scolding. I freakin' love you," she pressed her face into his shoulder as he blushed slightly from her words. Jack quirked an eyebrow at them, seeing something there what they didn't. They seemed very close, even if it wasn't the way he had thought of before. But it was getting a little third wheel-ish in there, so he cleared his throat.

"Do we know why they're wearing gas masks?" he asked as Cassie untwined her arms from around him and the Doctor focused on him.

"They're not," he stated, walking over to one of the bodies, "Those masks are flesh and bone. How was that con of yours supposed to work?"

Jack was surprised at the subject change, but obliged, "Simple enough," he took a seat in an empty chair by the exit, "Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put fifty percent up front, oops!" He laughed as he thought of the what a proper Time Agent face would have looked like if that had happened, "A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

"Yeah," the Doctor scoffed, causing Cassie to put a restraining hand on his shoulder, "Perfect!"

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners," Jack continued, not noticing the Doctor's darkening mood, "Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation out of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for Volcano Day." He started cracking up at the joke until he realized he was the only one laughing. He glanced up the scowling man in front of him, "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room," the Doctor tossed his arms up, indicating the entire room as he spoke, "This is what your 'harmless' piece of space-junk did."

"It was a burnt out medical transporter," Jack growled out in frustration, "It was empty." Cassie had begun to slowly inch out of the room, not wanting to be in the middle of the fight, but was stopped just before she was heading out the door by the Doctor.

"Cassie!" She whipped her head back in shock, seeing both men's faces slightly amused at her.

"Huh? I mean, we leaving?"

The Doctor shook his head as he headed for the door she was standing in the middle of, "We're going upstairs." She followed him out with Jack not far behind. Wanting to prove to them that he was not the cause of all this.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it." Cassie squeezed his hand a little as they walked for reassurance.

"I'll tell you what's happening," the Doctor called from farther ahead, "You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's Volcano Day!" As soon as the words' echos died, a siren sounded in the distance.

"The all clear," Cassie whispered, a little glad they now had one less thing to worry about.

"I wish," the Doctor only muttered before rushing off. Cassie and Jack trailing behind.

_**CLDW**_

"Mr. Spock?" Jack called through the hallways, searching for the Doctor in the never ending maze of the hospital. Cassie gave him a side ways glance.

"You know his names not actually Mr. Spock, right?" Jack only smiled a devilish smile at her.

"Oh, I know. I just love his face when I call him that." Cassie smiled along with him. Apparently, Jack loved teasing the Doctor almost as much as she did. They would be quite the team once she convinced the Doctor to take him. She knew he would cave eventually. Cassie already had the Time Lord wrapped around her finger.

Jack continued to call for him without any luck. "Doctor?" Cassie called in a sing-song tone while giving Jack a smirk. He waited for a reply and was about to smirk back at her when it happened.

"Have you got a blaster?" Came the Doctor up a flight of steps. Cassie smiled at Jack definitely letting him know who to talk to whenever he wanted the Doctor to do something. They ran up the stairs to find him waiting by a locked door.

"Sure!" Jack affirmed, leaning over to examine the lock.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken," he paused a moment while Jack continued to look at the lock, "Well, hurry up, get it open." Jack quickly straightened and got out his blaster.

"Demanding," Cassie murmured, causing Jack to snicker a little.

"But he wasn't going fast enough," the Doctor defended.

"And now we're adding whiny to the mix. Care to add anything else to the 'All Around Rude' Stew?" The Doctor only pouted as Jack laughed heartily.

"Oh, I like you." He breathed in between laughs. He let his hand fold around her's, squeezing it with joy. Neither of them noticed the Doctor's glare at the twined limbs in front of him. His look literally translated into 'Take your hand away or you'll be getting back a stump!' The laughter between the two continued and the Doctor cleared his throat in an effort to stop it. Cassie and Jack looked at each other in giddy embarrassment before reluctantly letting go. Jack going back to his blaster while Cassie went to whisper something in the Doctor's ear.

"Something wrong with your screwdriver, Mr. Killjoy?" A faint blush crept onto the Doctor's face as her breath brushed by his ear, causing a very miniscule shiver down his spine. _No thoughts like that. Never!_ He told himself firmly.

"Nothing," he whispered back in as even a voice as he could manage. Jack fired his gun at the lock and made a perfect square where the lock had been. Cassie touched the edges of it and felt the smoothness of the edges before extracting her finger quickly before she could burn herself. "Sonic blaster," the Doctor appraised, "Fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengrad?"

"You've been to the factories," Jack asked surprised. He didn't seem like the type of person to approve of guns.

"Once."

"Well, they're gone now, destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot." Jack disclosed, a little miffed.

"Like he said, we've been there once," Cassie told him, remembering the Doctor insisting they go on a mystery tour. The factory was only their fourth stop out of twenty. They'd stepped outside the doors for two seconds before the Doctor rattled off where they were and began to press buttons, shouting to Cassie that there was gonna a giant explosion in two minutes. As soon as a countdown clock had appeared, he'd raced back to the TARDIS with a shout of glee, leaving Cassie staring at the machine with an open mouth. She'd stayed there a little too long when a security guard had come into the facility to see what was going on. Considering they'd tripped several alarms. Cassie had just made out 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' from the guard's direction before screaming 'The Industrial Revolution!' and sprinting back to the TARDIS and shutting the door with a minute left on the clock and a shocked security guard rushing towards the doors. Oh, what an adventure that was.

"There's a banana grove there, now. I like a banana. Bananas are good." Cassie laughed silently at the famous line that was worked into so many fan fictions across the world.

"Nice squareness gun," Cassie complimented Jack before heading in. She waited a second before adding, "Eyes up soldier!" Glancing over her shoulder to see Jack's eyes immediately lift from her bum to her eyes. A smile playing on his lips. She may not understand flirting and the mechanics of it, but she understood Jack's personal brand of flirting.

"You can't blame a guy for trying," he rationalized with a laugh.

"I can," the Doctor growled, taking Cassie's arm and pulling her the rest of the way through the door.

_**CLDW**_

The lights flickered on from the switch the Doctor had flipped while he passed. It brought to light a shattered room that was torn apart. A recording studio was the first thing in the room with a broken window looking into another room on the other side of the wall. Cassie treaded lightly to avoid getting stuck by any glass through her sandals.

"Well? What do you think?" The Doctor asked of their opinion.

"Something got out of here," Jack stated obviously.

"Yes. And...?"

"Something powerful," Cassie jumped in, "Angry, and...sad?" She trailed off, heading towards the steal door leading to the other room. Jack followed her with his eyes, it was strange how she'd said it. Like she knew how whatever had gotten out felt. It didn't seem normal.

"Powerful, angry, don't know about sad, but definitely deep emotions." The room was in disarray. It would be a perfectly ordinary room if it wasn't for the scattering of child drawings everywhere. It was the prominent feature in the room. Sheets of paper with different crayon drawings of a women. It was typical to a child's drawing, stick people mostly with purple or blue hair. Not very realistic, but one picture of a the woman with braids stuck with Cassie. She plucked it off the wall and traced the rough lines of the image with her eyes. Of all the drawings in the room, this one seemed the most true to her.

Cassie quickly folded it and stuffed it in her pocket when Jack came sauntering over to her. Instead of stopping at her, he went to the bed she was next to and picked up the teddy bear. "A child?" He asked, perplexed, "I suppose that explains Mummy."

"A child did all this," Cassie stated softly taking the bear from his hands. She gingerly fixed the bow tie on it's neck. Smiling softly at the reminder of the eleventh Doctor. She hugged it close to her chest in an effort of comfort. The Doctor turned on the tape recording device and listened as two voices filled the room.

"Do you know where you are?" Dr. Constantine asked on the tape.

"Are you my mummy?" The child answered back. Cassie hugged the bear closer at the sadness in his voice.

"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?"

"Are you my mummy," he asked again, not having noticed the question put to him.

"What do you want? Do you know-" Dr. Constantine tried again before he was cut off.

"I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" Cassie sank to the bed, the bear still clutched in her arms. The utter loneliness of the child was breaking Cassie heart. She always thought of herself as a compassionate person. Except when it came to 'America's Funniest Home Videos', because you have to admit. Those things were freaking hysterical sometimes, but when it came to a problem with her friend or her sister self-destructing; she could understand them. Things just resonated with her. She wouldn't call herself an empath, but she was the next best thing. She helped them navigate through their minefield of emotions. And believe her, when she says minefield, she meant minefield. Lindsey, Melly, Rose, and Amy were like four PMS-ing hormonal mothers when they became worked up. Say one little thing wrong and you found yourself in a storm of stuffed animals being thrown at you and almost getting your nose clipped when the door was slammed in your face. Their boyfriends learned that the hard way.

But it wasn't only her empathy skills that gave her an idea of the child's mind. Her mind was in the same place as his. Not the wondering who his mummy was, but in the loneliness. The sadness. She'd been thinking that way even before the adventure had begun. She didn't think she'd go as far as saying she'd go home indefinitely if she had the chance, but to just see them one more time. "He's so lonely," she whispered to herself. Trying not to cry. She hated crying, it showed weakness and was only more ammunition the other kids used on her when they were young. Jack sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The Doctor didn't glare this time. He saw that it was in no way a come on move. The soldier truly cared a little about the girl. It would be a good quality in him as a companion when Cassie wanted to get into trouble.

"You've heard the voice before," the Doctor guessed at Cassie's expression. She nodded back, mutely.

"Mummy?"

"He doesn't know. He never knows." Cassie mumbled to herself. The Doctor's interest was peaked at her words. Cassie might have only been slightly psychic, but her gift was powerful and growing in strength with her time in the TARDIS. Maybe she could get a reading.

"What do you see, Cassie?" He asked as he kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his. Jack looked strangely at him. What did he expect of this girl?

"He doesn't know because she never told him. She kept it so secret. Nobody was safe enough to know. Nobody. He..." she stopped straining a bit in her thoughts. She wasn't sure if what she was saying was psychic or memory or something, but it felt...right to tell him. Like she was meant to. "He wants to find her. He needs to... know!" Her voice grew a little louder with effort. Nothing else came to her from anywhere. She was blank, and it angered her a little. Up until now she'd tried preserving the time lines, but the time lines be damned! A little boy was out there searching for his mummy just because she never had the courage to tell him. She did understand the mother's thinking on the subject, but that still didn't make it right. She was angry with herself as well for not being able to give him anything more. She knew he'd be disappointed and it almost killed her.

Jack saw this and frowned. He didn't want the poor girl to berate herself for something that couldn't be helped. Judging by the way the two acted, the girl had some sort of psychic power and it was weak or in the early stages. He'd find out more about it later, but right now. He had other things to worry about. "Doc, why don't you give her a moment?" The Doctor looked over at him with a glare about to criticize him when a deep breath came from Cassie. He glanced over and saw her shaking a little. He'd never asked her to do that before and it was a drain on her energy. He patted her hands, getting up from his crouched position. The child's tape playing in the back ground.

"Mummy? Mummy?"

_**CLDW**_

Cassie still sat on the tiny bed in the child's room. Fingering the drawing she had folded up in her pocket. Jack had left his perch next to her and was using his manipulator to get a read on anything the child might have left in the room. The Doctor was leaning against the wall, listening to the recording still.

"Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?"

"Can you sense it?" Cassie asked the Doctor across the room, not being able to take the child's voice anymore. The Doctor only nodded to her, causing Jack to be confused. Whatever they were sensing was going completely over his head.

"Sense what?"

"Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?" Jack only looked at Cassie for help, but she only shrugged. Not able to understand how or why she felt it. She just did.

"Mummy?"

"Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?" Cassie rolled her eyes as she rose from her seat. Sitting there was doing nothing and her bum was starting to hurt. Also, she wanted to explain to Jack the Doctor's ramblings since he looked slightly offended by his words.

"Don't take it personally. When he's stressed out, he likes to poke fun at other species." Jack smiled and took her hand.

"Cassie, I'm thinking," the Doctor called, turning towards her with a frown that only deepened when he saw their interlocked hands. Instead of doing the smart thing, like releasing her hand, Jack squeezed it. Enjoying the effect his platonic mannerisms had on the alien. That was truly all they were. Cassie had made it quite clear on the way over here that she was not ready to get into a relationship now.

Well, she hadn't said those words exactly. But with the way she constantly talked about her ex-boyfriend and the Doctor gave him the signal that she still wasn't over her ex and a little crush was brewing on horizon for the alien. That was something he did not want to get into. Plus, in the little time they'd spent together, he'd actually started to develop feelings for the girl. Strictly sisterly feelings of course, but they were enough. His family was basically gone. Those that weren't were somewhere in the future. And he was the type of man to never look back.

"Gets one little cut shaving and he rates the species on their I.Q.'s," Cassie continued, despite the Doctor's words. They were quite the team when it came to annoying the Doctor.

"There are these children living rough round the bomb sites," the Doctor analyzed out loud, ignoring her comments, "They come out during air-raids looking for food."

"Mummy, please?"

"Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?"

"It was a med ship," Jack repeated with a sigh, letting go of Cassie's hand in the process, "It was harmless."

"Yes you keep saying harmless. Suppose one on of them was affected, altered?" The Doctor continued in one breath.

"Altered like how?" Cassie asked, musing on his words. Something beginning to click in her mind. At the same time, a clicking noise had begun to filter through the room. Cassie didn't think anything about.

"I'm here!" The child exclaimed.

"It's afraid," the Doctor thought aloud. Cassie's mind was listening to him, but also seemed to be keeping tabs on the clicking sound in the room, "Terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got power of a god and I sent it to it's room." Cassie eyes widened a little at his words, finally working out what the clicking was.

"I'm here. Can't you see me," the child asked again, sending shivers up Cassie's spine.

"The tape," Cassie whispered. Jack gave her a look while the Doctor only nodded.

"It ran out about thirty seconds ago," Jack finally seemed to understand what they were talking about.

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?"

"I sent it to it's room," the Doctor gave a small smile to Cassie, "This is it's room." They turned in one motion towards the broken window to see the child standing there staring at them before heading for the door. The Doctor immediately collected Jack and Cassie in the center of the room. Jack stood in the very front with the Doctor behind him and Cassie all the way in the back. She rolled her eyes at the protectiveness they were doing. It's not like she couldn't take care of herself.

"Are you my mummy? Mummy?"

"Okay, on my signal make for the door," Jack told them, reaching for his blaster in his holster. Cassie only smiled when she saw a hint of yellow sticking out.

"Mummy?"

"Now!" He raised his gun, only to see he was holding a banana. He looked at it in shock before backing up away from the child.

"Mummy?"

The Doctor was almost laughing through the whole thing and pulled Jack's blaster out of his pocket and aimed it at the wall. He fired and a nice large square appeared in it.

"Go now!" The Doctor shouted pulling Cassie from behind him and shoving her towards the hole, "Don't drop the banana!" He hollered to Jack behind them.

"Why not?!"

"Good source of potassium!"

"I don't care how much potassium it has," Cassie yelled from the hall, "If one of asks me to eat it and then starts laughing, I'm gonna punch them so hard it'll knock their teeth out!" The Doctor gave her a look with a faint blush in his face as he thought about her words. Jack only laughed and repeated his words of, 'I like her!'

_**CLDW**_

"Give me that!" Jack scolded, grabbing the blaster out of the Doctor's hands. He fiddled with the settings on the side of the gun and aimed it at the wall. With a beam of light the hole in the wall disappeared. It looked as if nothing had ever happened. "Digital rewind," Jack explained, putting his blaster back in his _secured _holster. "Nice switch."

The Doctor flipped the banana in his hand with the a smile, "It's from the groves of Villengrad. I thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengrad and you did that?"

"Bananas are good."

"Boys, boys," Cassie called, quieting them down in the middle of their tiff, "No need to get snippy with each other." Before either of them could respond, the wall in front of them began to crack from the child punching it. Cassie stumbled back in shock and nearly tripped if it wasn't for the hand that kept her upright from the Doctor.

"Come on," he yelled heading down the hall. Only to be stopped by hordes of the zombies coming from both sides.

"Mummy, mummy, mummy!"

"It's keeping us here till it can get at us," the Doctor panicked, pushing Cassie in between him and Jack with the soldier's help. Jack raised his blaster and kept it trained on one zombie at a time.

"It's controlling them?"

"It is them," Cassie told Jack.

"It's every living thing in this hospital," the Doctor continued, his arms spread wide to block Cassie from the zombies.

"Okay," Jack muttered, "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, ans as a triple-enfolded sonic disruptor. Doc, what have you got?"

The Doctor immediately pulled out his sonic screwdriver, "I've got a sonic, er," he looked over at his tiny tool and thought better of it, "Oh, never mind."

"What?" Jack called back,

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that!"

"Disruptor! Cannon! What?"

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I'm soniced up!"

"A sonic what?!" Jack shouted getting frustrated with his evasion.

"A Screwdriver, for God's sake!" Cassie yelled, completely irritated with their little argument. Jack turned around and caught sight of the Doctor's tiny 'weapon'. Before he could react (mostly likely laugh his butt off) Cassie grabbed his arm with the blaster in it the moment the child broke through the wall. "Next Stop: Basement!" She fired at the floor and kept a scream down as they fell through the hole into the next level. It was dark and she couldn't see much while she fell, along with the flurry of different limbs of the Doctor and Jack.

She landed with a hard, _thud_. After the ringing in her head stopped, Cassie lifted her head slightly and looked around. The Doctor was dragging himself to his feet with a groan. Jack was just lifting himself up. Cassie lifted her arms to prop herself up and only hissed in pain. She cradled her wrist to her chest and felt it gently. Must be a sprain.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor whispered next to her ear. She jumped a little since the Doctor had been across the room when she'd glanced around. She didn't want him to baby her. It made her feel like she couldn't handle the travelling. And she would be damned if that ever happened. She shuffled away from him, waving off his concern.

"It's only a sprain," she held it firmly in her other hand to not jostle it. Despite her protests, the Doctor took her wrist in his hand and scanned it with his sonic. She didn't make eye contact with him.

Jack glanced around the room before landing on the two time travellers on the floor. He could see it, right there. The feelings they thought they were hiding beneath the surface. Just from the gentle hands that the Doctor used to hold the girl's wrist that he had feelings for her. He smiled to himself a little. Jack could tell, even with what little time he'd spent with the Time Lord, it would take one hell of an adventure for him to admit those feelings. Or erase them.

The Doctor pulled a roll of ace bandages out of his pocket and wound it around her wrist to hold it in place until they could get back to the TARDIS. Cassie smiled with her face away from him, she never pegged this incarnation as a sweet one. "You okay?" She asked him, trying to get his mind off her wrist.

"Could've used a warning," he mumbled as he glanced up at her. And sweetness just went out the window.

"Try to help and you get not thanks," she clipped with a small laugh. The Doctor smiled with his eyes as he tucked the end of the bandage inside a fold. He helped Cassie to her feet, scanning her wrist one more time with his sonic, gaining Jack's attention.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack continued on with the conversation.

"I do!" The Doctor protested. Cassie turned on the spot looking for a light switch to illuminate where they were, Jack doing the same while continuing with his teasing.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, hmm, nice, but could be a bit more sonic?" He smiled at Cassie who smirked back at the jab. He was so coming, even if it was only to tease the Doctor more.

"What, you've never been bored? Never had long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" The Doctor defended.

"Since when have you even done anything in the TARDIS that hasn't consisted of breaking something or making it worse?" Cassie called as she spotted a light switch and scrambled to it.

"Oi!" The Doctor yelled, not liking having two companions to gang up on him. Before he could get started into one of his rants, the lights flickered on from Cassie flipping the switch to reveal a room full of the gas-mask zombies. The zombies immediately sprang up and shouted, "Mummy? Mummy?"

"Door!" Jack called, ushering Cassie before him as the zombies began to climb out of their beds. Cassie stood to the side as Jack aimed his gun at the lock only for it to groan, "Damn it!" He tried hitting the gun on the door handle to get it working but with no such luck, "It's the special features, they really drain the battery."

"I think now it's time for a little sonic screwdriver, Doctor!" Cassie yelled as Jack continued to hit his gun against the door. He whirred it open and shoved Jack and Cassie in before entering himself and locking the door behind him.

"So your gun's no better than a cell phone?" Cassie poked at Jack who just gave up and pocketed his gun.

"I was going to send off for a new one," he defended as the Doctor looked around the room, "But somebody's got to blow up the factory."

Cassie held up her hands in surrender, "You're preaching to the choir here. The day I met him, he blew me and my sister's job. It's like his way of saying hello."

"Okay," the Doctor interjected and turning the subject away him, "That door's gonna hold for a bit -"

"The door?" Jack asked; shocked, "The wall didn't hold it."

"Well it's got to find us first! Come on, come on, we're not done yet. Assets, assets!"

"Well," Jack joked as her sat down in a chair, "I've got a banana and in a pinch you could put up some shelves." The Doctor kept searching as Cassie came up behind Jack a thumped him on the head, "Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't be snarky," Cassie scolded with a smirk. She went to check around the room in an effort to help the Doctor.

"Window?" The Doctor asked as he climbed some boxes to get to it.

"Barred. Sheer drop outside – seven stories" Jack rattled off from his seat.

"No other exits," Cassie called from her assertion of the walls.

"Well! The assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Cassie held up a warning finger.

"What did I say about the snark?" But Jack only stuck his tongue out at her.

The Doctor scoffed at his childish behavior, "So! Where'd you pick this one up?"

"Don't you start with the snark, too!" Cassie begged.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible space ship..." He winked flirtatiously (and at the same time playfully) at her, to which she answered with a roll of her eyes, "I never stood a chance."

The Doctor just shook his head at the soldier's immaturity (forgetting completely that he was not always the height of adultness at times) and continued pacing. "Okay! One – we've gotta get out of here. Two – we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah," Cassie interrupted his rhetorical question, "Jack has left the building."

The Doctor looked over at the seat that Jack had just occupied and saw it empty.

_**CLDW**_

"He's got a great vanishing act, I'll give him that," Cassie commented, taking the seat that Jack been sitting in only moments ago, "Always the cute ones that disappear on you."

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted," the Doctor called over from his perch in front of the window. He liked to think he was cute.

"You've disappeared on me," Cassie reminded him. He faltered a little in his task as he thought about that, only to shake his head later to get back on task. But he was interrupted again by a crackling coming over the radio.

"Cassie? Doctor?" Jack called through the comm to them. The Doctor jumped lightly from his perch over to the radio and picked it up. Its wires were hanging out, corroded and destroyed. No possible way for it to be working at all. "Can you hear me?"

"Where are you?" Cassie called through the radio, seeing as the Doctor was still flicking the wires that were hanging lose.

"Back on my ship – used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you, it's security-keyed to my molecular structure. Hang in there, working on it."

"How are you talking to us?" The Doctor spoke up before Jack could sign off.

"Om-Com – I can call anything with a speaker grille."

"Now there's a coincidence," the Doctor murmured.

"What is?"

"The child can Om-Com," the Doctor began pacing back and forth with the radio resting in his hand. Cassie just lent against one of the wall in the cramped room in order to not get in his way. "Anything with a speaker grille. Even the TARDIS phone."

"So the kid can phone us?" Cassie called before the radio crackled over to another channel.

"And I can hear you," the child called over the Om-Com. Cassie rocked to her feet as the Doctor paused in his pacing, "Coming to find you. Coming to find you," he sang in a sing-song voice.

"Doctor, can you hear that?" Jack called over the comm.

"Loud and clear," he answered, placing the radio back on the shelf carefully.

"And just a little bit hair raising," Cassie commented, crossing her arms in front of her chest to try and keep the fear she was feeling inside her.

"I'll try and block the signal. Least I can do," Jack assured Cassie. They heard the faint sound of switches clicking, "Remember this one, Cassie?" A beat went by before 'Moonlight Serenade' filled the room. The Doctor looked around, confused at the song playing.

"Our song," Cassie commented with air quotes and a roll of her eyes. Regardless of her brush off, the Doctor's nostrils flared only for a second. A person could miss it if they were staring directly at his face, which Cassie wasn't. The Doctor went back to his perch with his sonic and got to work.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie was rocking back and forth in Jack's chair out of boredom as the Doctor was doing something to the window with his sonic. 'Moonlight Serenade' was still playing in the background since Jack was off trying to rework his ship.

"Wha'cha doin'" Cassie called over, trying to occupy her time somehow.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars..."

"All I'm hearing is a very bad Plan B because you think Jack is gonna be a no show," Cassie laughed as she shifted her legs over the arm of the chair and dangled them there.

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"Is this trust thing or a jealousy thing?" She asked curiously while playing with the straps of her sandals.

"I'm not jealous!" He only rolled his eyes at the snicker behind him, "And why do you trust him?"

"He saved me from a terrifying death, plus he's a little like you," she glanced up when she heard a scoff from his direction, "He is. Just with comfortable flirting and dancing." The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her with a look that intrigued her. "Something to say?"

"You just assume I'm..." he trialed off, not sure how to word it.

"What?"

"You assume I don't … dance?" Cassie gained almost a Cheshire Cat smile at the double meaning in his words. She'd just been talking about the little waltz on top of his ship. The Doctor seemed to be thinking along the lines of something much more … physical.

"And do you … dance?" Cassie teased.

"Nine hundred years old, me. Been around. I think you can assume at some point I've … danced."

"You don't sound to sure of that," Cassie smirked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger absentmindedly.

"Well I've got moves but I wouldn't want to boast," he sniffed, turning back to his task. There was a lull in the conversation as the Doctor concentrated on the concrete. Cassie glanced over at him with mischievous eyes before she swung her legs back over the arm and bounced up behind him. She held out her hand in a traditional style.

"Than let's see your moves," she dared with a hint of playfulness. He glanced back her with innocent eyes, confused at her request.

"Cassie, I'm trying to resonate concrete..."

"Let our little future-man soldier worry about getting us out. I think you need a break from all this spacey stuff. Come on, Doctor. Dance with me." Her eyes glistened with humor at the Doctor floundering before her. Some may say this was a form of flirting, but this was just 'freak the Doctor out' time. The Doctor hesitantly reached out his hand (careful of her sprained wrist) and took her's in his. He looked around awkwardly as Cassie tried to move his feet in the proper direction. Even trying a spin but failed miserably when he didn't even realize what she was doing. They ended up doing a typical prom slow dance of swaying side to side in no particular motion. That is, until the Doctor caught sight of her hands.

"A barrage balloon?"He asked, holding her hands up slightly.

"Hmm?" Cassie asked, not really paying attention to him.

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon?"

"Oh! That. I managed to get myself hanging from a balloon miles above the city. Most terrifying thing in my life, coming from a girl whose afraid of heights." Cassie laughed at the situation.

"I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly," he commented, still looking at her hands. _Not even close_, Cassie thought to herself.

"So is this your dancing?" She asked, glance down at their barely moving feet.

"Hanging from a steel cable. Thousands of feet above London," he practically shoved her hands in her face, "Not a cut, not a bruise." She rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"Yeah, Captain Jack patched me up," Cassie told him off-handedly.

"We're calling him Captain Jack now?"

"Well, that is his name," Cassie completely gave up on moving while the Doctor was talking.

"He's not really a captain, Cassie," he muttered under his breath.

"Little envy right there," she teased before pulling him straighter to get his attention. "Now, enough about _Captain _Jack. Right now, we're focusing on you and more importantly your feet." She smirked as that seemed to shut him up and get his feet moving again. It was few moments before the silence was broken again.

"If he ever were a captain he's been defrocked." She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Actually I quit," they heard Jack call to them. They turned sharply to the right to see Jack sitting in his captain's chair. It seemed that, during their little spin around the block, the Doctor and Cassie were teleported out and onto his ship. "Nobody takes my frock."

"I bet they don't," Cassie teased, much to the Doctor's displeasure.

_**CLDW**_

"Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are sweet," Jack complimented, his eyes on their hands still attached in dance. "Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security." Cassie quirked an eyebrow. Taking that long to undo security codes he should know was not a good sign.

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols?" The Doctor commented Cassie's thoughts aloud, "I think you should remember whose ship it is."

"Oh, I do," Jack smiled cheekily at him, "She was gorgeous. Like I told her, be back in five minutes." And he spun his chair around and continued to hit switches. Cassie was tempted to ask what he was doing to try and copy his movements maybe. She loved learning new things, even if they were complicated, and this ship (aside from the TARDIS) seemed like one of the most complicated things in the universe.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the Doctor snapped his fingers to form a little gold cloud around them. The same cloud that had fixed Cassie's hands. "Those things are what healed my hand. Nanogenes, I think they're called." She lightly brushed her finger over the outer rim of the cloud. They felt like little fluffy wisps of air.

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see?" He held his hand up to Cassie once the cloud had dissipated. The discoloration that had been there before was gone, "Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws. Give me your wrist," he held out his hand for it and she obliged, already noticing tiny little clusters of light around it. He carefully unwound the bandage from her wrist to give the nanogenes direct contact to do their work. A beat after the cloth had been removed, it was engulfed in a cloud so much bigger than his or even her first time. These nanogenes had a lot of work cut out for them considering they had to work underneath the skin."Take us to the crash site," the Doctor called to Jack as the cloud disappeared and Cassie flexed her wrist to test it out. It felt better than ever, "I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back on line," Jack told him, still fiddling with the switches. Not really paying attention to the moment behind him. He swiveled his chair back around to look at them, "Make yourselves comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were doing." He smirked at the Doctor's face as Cassie made to sit down on the bunk. Mindful of the one above it.

"We were just talking about dancing," the Doctor excused.

"It didn't look like talking," Jack quipped.

"And it most definitely wasn't dancing," Cassie laughed before laying down on the bunk to kill a few minutes. "So," she called to the two men, shaking her leg in boredom. It was nervous habit, "A Time Agent turned con man, right?"

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money," Jack laughed at her boldness.

"Then for what?"

"Woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back," Cassie could see the distance in his eyes as he tried and failed to think back on those two years of lost memories. It was the same look the Doctor got in his eyes when he thought back to the war. They were similar in many ways.

"Sorry."

"Two years of my life. No idea what I did. Your friend over there doesn't trust me, and for all I know he's right." Cassie glanced over at the Doctor with eyes that said '_Not one word_'. "Okay, we're good to go," Jack announced when a tiny alarm sounded behind him, "Crash site?" And he set the controls.

_**CLDW**_

They trio navigated through the disused parts of the railway station that the crash site was located in. The ducked behind some cylinders as a couple of soldiers came into view, "There it is," Jack pointed behind the soldiers to a brightly lit spot with an object in the middle covered by a tarp, "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important." Cassie looked at the tall, thin man pacing the area.

"We've got to get past him," the Doctor said, keeping his eyes on the tarped object.

"Well, don't look at me," Cassie said seriously, knowing that never in a million years would she ever have sex appeal. Amy had even tried to train her herself and ended up storming from the room out of frustration yelling, 'How the bloody hell did you ever get a boyfriend!'

Jack only laughed at her words, "Don't worry, I've gotten to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me, you're not his type. I'll distract him." He rubbed his hands together in readiness, "Don't wait up," and he headed out.

"Be back by ten," Cassie teased in a whisper, laughing at his enthusiasm. She leaned over to the Doctor to whisper to him, "So, 51st century flexibility?"

"So many species, so little time," he agreed with a laugh. He smiled as she put a hand over her mouth to silence her snickering.

_**CLDW**_

Jack ignored the quiet laughter behind him as he addressed the soldier in front of him, "Hey, tiger. How's it hanging?" He put on his best flirty smile and let his instincts guide him through the mind field that was flirting. Ready for anything.

"Mummy?" Algy asked with a tilt of his head.

Except that, "Algy, old sport, it me." This was impossible. From what they knew, the infection was contained at the hospital. How could it be out here affecting the soldiers? Unless... The ship actually did have something to do with it? But that was crazy! It was an empty ambulance. What harm could that do?

"Mummy?" Algy asked again.

"It's me, Jack." This was really starting to freak him out.

"Jack," Algy seemed to recognize him a little, "Are you my mummy?" He started retching before falling to his knees. Jack was about to go to him when he saw his eyes darken and a gas-mask nozzle force its way through his lips. The changing man brought the Doctor and Cassie out from their hiding place.

"Stay back!" The Doctor warned, holding Cassie behind him.

"You men, stay away!" Jack ordered the other soldiers on duty about to go to the aid of their commanding officer. Jack turned back to ask the Doctor who the hell had that happened when he beat him to it in his explanation.

"The effect's become air-borne, accelerating!" To make matters worse the air-raid siren sounded through the air, alerting them to the coming German _Luftwaffe_.

"Ah, here they come again," Jack complained, sounding like he was truly a citizen of 40's Britian.

"Going native I see," Cassie poked with an edge to her voice before she realized something, "Jack, didn't you say the bomb was gonna land here?!"

"Never mind that," the Doctor cut across Jack's answer, "If the contaminants are airborne now, there's hours left."

"For what?" Jack questioned, Cassie being distracted by a gentle tune floating towards her.

"Till nothing forever. For the entire human race-"

"Can anyone else hear singing?" Cassie cut in, causing both men to shut up and listen. Gentle words from a lullaby drifted towards them.

"Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree tops..."

_**CLDW**_

Cassie poked her head in through a door and saw the Doctor sonicing the hand-cuffs of a young girl with braids in her hair. The girl continued to sing as they made their way to the door to keep the newly turned gas-mask zombie soldier asleep. The door closed with a thump and silenced Nancy's singing.

"Well than," the Doctor started out when they were all standing in a circle, "Nancy, Cassie. Cassie, Nancy." He introduced the two who shook hands. Nancy with a shy and slightly suspicious look on her face.

"Don't I get an introduction," Jack complained.

"Judging by how you found Cassie, I think you can handle your own intro's," the Doctor sniped before turning on his heel and leaving. Jack only laughed at the jealous tone in his voice.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Nancy smiled a little under his gaze and gladly shook his hand.

"Stop it!" The Doctor yelled behind to him. Cassie only laughed and took both Nancy and Jack's arms to lead them in the path the Doctor was taking.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor was flipping the tarp over to uncover the ambulance beneath it when Cassie, Nancy, and Jack caught up to him. "You see? Just and ambulance," Jack defended once more. He would have sounded more smug if he weren't out of breath. He didn't how Cassie kept up with that man.

"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked skeptically, not that winded since she had to run most of the time on the streets.

"Yeah, Nance. Can I call you Nance?" Cassie started, sounding like the Doctor when he got off topic, "It's just from another planet."

"They've been trying to get in," Jack observed from the scratch marks on the side of the door when he hopped up next to the Doctor.

"Of course they have," the Doctor scoffed, making it sound like the stupidest question in the world, "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest weapon." Jack began tapping away at the keypad on the outside, "What're you doing?"

"The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with this," he answered, more determined than ever to show him (and more importantly Cassie) that he was innocent when it came to this whole mess. He entered the last number and flinched back when a small explosion erupted from the door and sparks shot out, "Didn't do that last time." An alarm began to sound from the pod and a red flashing light came from within.

"It hadn't crashed last time. There'll be emergency protocols," the Doctor explained before leaning in to see what he could do. The sound seemed to echo all around them and it unsettled Cassie.

"It's calling them," she whispered with tremor in her voice. Nancy put a comforting hand on her wrist when she saw her distress.

The Doctor gave up trying to fix the pod and popped up out of it before shooting off orders, "Captain, secure those gates!"

"Why?" Jack shouted back.

"Didn't you hear Cassie? Just do it!" Jack headed toward the gates as the Doctor turned towards the two girls, "Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire," she held up the pair of wire cutters she had in hidden in her coat pocket.

"Show Cassie," he ushered them off while setting his screwdriver, "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D."

"Reattaches barbed wire, got it!" Cassie shouted before grabbing Nancy's hand and his sonic and rushing off. The Doctor watched them go with slight suspicion in his eyes. How did she know how to work his screwdriver? He shook his head. He had other things to worry about.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie and Nancy were kneeling in front of the bomb site fence. Nancy was holding the two pieces of wire together as Cassie fused them back together with the sonic. The sounds of bombs falling in the background along with the assembling gas-mask people's questions about mummies.

"Who are you? Who are any of ya?" Nancy asked as Cassie fused together another wire.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Cassie asked seriously, biting her tongue in concentration.

"You just told me that was an ambulance from another world. There's people running around with gas mask heads calling for their mummies, and the sky's full of Germans dropping bombs on me," Cassie almost had to laugh at Nancy's matter-of-fact way of explaining things, "Tell me, do you think there's anything left I couldn't believe?"

Cassie fused together another wire before answering, "We travel in time. We're all from the future."

"Mad, you are," Nancy immediately said after Cassie told her the truth.

"It's true," Cassie defended, fusing yet another wire, "We've got a time machine and everything. I'll show it to you when this is all over."

"It's not that," Nancy interrupted, not wanting her to get the wrong idea, "All right, you've got a time travel machine. I believe ya. Believe anything me. But what future?" She looked up into the sky to see the barrage balloons scattered everywhere and planes flying over head. All illuminated underneath by exploding bombs and fires.

Cassie looked over at her and saw she had tears in her eyes. They had one wire left, but Cassie pocketed the sonic and turned toward Nancy to give a little comfort, "Nancy, this doesn't end here. The world does not end in the 1940's."

"How can you say that?" Nancy lamented, "Look at it!" Nancy tried to turn her head to the city, only for Cassie to turn her head back to look her in the eye.

"This city is strong. This city will survive. I know because I live here in 2005. I may not have been born here but my mom and sister were," Cassie assured her.

"From here?" Nancy asked with disbelief.

"I'm an adopted Londoner. My mom and sis are true ones. Like you," she cupped her face in her hands, trying to get her to understand.

"But they're not... I mean you're not...?"

"What?"

"German," she said the word like it was a profanity. In a way it was at this time.

"Never," Cassie said with a smile as she began to reach into her back jean pocket, "I'll prove it." She pulled out her phone and began searching through her voicemail for one Rose had left on it. Nancy kept down her questions about the strange device in favor to see what Cassie had to show her.

She clicked on the right one and put the phone on speaker, waiting for Rose's voice to come out of the phone.

"_Hi Cas, it's your sister Rose. You might have forgotten me since I haven't seen in forever! Mum's going mental. Keeps saying your floating around in space-"_

"_**Are you talking to Cassie?**_"

"_No, mum-_"

"_**Give me the phone!**_"

"_Mum! Stop it!"_ There was a jostling over the line as Jackie wrestled the phone away from Rose.

"_**You, missy, are in big trouble! It's been weeks since we saw you last! Where have you been? I expect you to be coming home within two seconds of now! And tell the Doctor that if he doesn't want to come, I'll keep on living until I meet him again and beat him with my cane!**_" More movement came as she handed the phone back to Rose.

"_Anyway, aside from that threat right there, things have been good. Me and Mickey are patching things up and are almost back to where we were. You'll be happy to hear that. He misses you. Asks about you all the time. So does Chris and all your Leadworth friends. Don't worry, they all think you're some scientist's assistant. Chris told me to tell you he's been doing some dating. But I don't think that's true since Amy told me he hasn't hung out with anyone but them, let alone in a date setting. They all miss you, so … come home soon. Love you. Bye._"

The line clicked off when Rose hung up the phone. Cassie sighed at the conversation, it was an old one so she had gone to see them since they'd left the message. But she should really go see them now. It had been awhile since her last visit. She filed her thoughts about her visits for another time and turned her attention back to Nancy.

"The Germans are nothing compared to you. They never set foot on this island. You want to hear something funny?" Nancy nodded her head, "You win!"

"We win?" Nancy breathed out with a smile. Cassie nodded along with her. They reattached the last wire and made to get back to the Doctor.

"Cassie," Nancy called from behind. Cassie turned to her, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," she said with a laugh before charging back to the pod. Nancy stiffened. She was to young. Younger than her. Her life was no life for a child.

_**CLDW**_

After securing the gates, Jack had gotten back to trying to get the pod open and had finally succeeded. The door slide open with a _woosh_ to reveal an empty pod. "It's empty. Look at it," Jack declared triumphantly. Finally able to prove his innocence to the people around him.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transport?" The Doctor prompted, "Bandages? Cough drops? Cassie?"

"Nanogenes," she called as she ran up to the pod.

"It wasn't empty, Captain," the Doctor continued, "There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

"Oh, God," Jack gasped, finally catching up, looking like he was going to be sick.

"Getting it now are we," the Doctor shouted, "When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gas mask."

"Bringing him back to life?" Cassie asked, confused at how that was possible.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogenes. One problem though. These nanogenes, they're like the ones on your ship." In the middle of his speech, the Doctor jumped off the pod and began to bare down on Jack, "This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body – and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on, they do what they're programmed to, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull but they do their best. And then off they fly, off they go, work to do! Cos you see, they think they know what people should look like now. And it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The whole Human Race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child, looking for its mother. And nothing in the world can stop it!" He was practically running Jack into the ground that Cassie had take his shoulder and pull him back.

"I … I," Jack stuttered. Almost unable to form complete sentences, "I didn't know..." He seemed almost on the verge of tears. Cassie abandoned the Doctor catching his breath from his outburst to go and give Jack a comforting hug. She never wanted him to feel like this, he just seemed so hopeless. Like he didn't really believe in anything anymore. He'd been so adamant that this had NOT been his fault. Whenever the Doctor had brought it up, he'd shot it down immediately. Discovering this was like finding out you were the cause of your house burning down, only so much bigger.

"Yeah. Whatever," the Doctor muttered before striding away … only to be pulled back by Cassie and smacked across the face. The sound reverberated through the bomb site in-between bomb drops. Nancy and Jack looked shocked but slightly amused at the action. The Doctor just looked shocked. Like she had threatened a few adventures, her slap really did feel exactly like her mother's.

"What was that for?" He shouted at the red-haired girl in front of him who was breathing heavily from the force of the slap.

"Don't. You. Dare," she huffed, "Don't you dare make that man feel any worse than he already does! He had no idea what he was doing! And while he is not totally off the the hook," she gave Jack a pointed look. He held up his hands in surrender, afraid of being slapped also, "He already feels horrible enough without you throwing your disgust on him! You're lonely Doctor, I know! But not everyone can be perfect Mr. Time Lord like you! We all make mistakes, and while some might not be as big as _accidently_ letting lose humanity destroying nanogenes but we all do!" The Doctor opened his mouth to retort but Cassie cut him off, "You know that more than anyone, don't you, Doctor." She gave him a hard look as his mouth closed and walked off without saying a word. Cassie sat down on the ground and brought her knees up to her chest. Jack and Nancy went over to her, Jack knelt in front her as Nancy knelt to hug her.

"That was slightly amazing," Jack told her with a squeeze of her hand.

Cassie's head rolled up from hanging between her arms, "No, Jack," she shook her head at him, "That was too far."

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor was perched back on top of the pod, sonicing the controls of it. Cassie was standing with her back to him, not ready to apologize to him. Let him stew for a little bit before she admitted she was wrong.

"Cassie?!" Nancy called to her suddenly, bringing everyone's attention to her. She pointed towards the gates where the hordes of gas-maask zombies were gathering.

"Mummy? … Mummy?" They kept repeating that word over and over again. Cassie had a feeling that she would not want to hear that word for a long time after this adventure.

"The ship thinks it's under attack," the Doctor explained as he uncovered the controls, "It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol."

"They're not troops," Cassie muttered to herself more than anyone else. All she wanted to do was get back to her room on the TARDIS and listen to any sad songs she could find on her Jukebox or Ipod and finish _Pride and Prejudice_.

"They are now!" The Doctor snapped at her from the pod, "This is a _battlefield _ambulance. The nanogenes don't fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you..." he trailed off as his mind drifted towards the training he was put through for the war. Without Cassie pulling him out of his funk, he remained there, brooding over the events that had taken place until Cassie voice split into his memories.

"Which explains the super strength and the phone thing," Cassie observed, going to Nancy's side to comfort her. The Doctor winced at her movement away from him, he hated it when they actually fought and not a faux-fight.

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior," the Doctor continued trying to pretend that Cassie hadn't spoken, "All that weapons teach in the hands of an hysterical four-year-old. And now there's an army of them – all looking for mummy!"

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked as they just stood there repeating their question. Doing absolutely nothing.

"Good little soldiers. Waiting for their leader," the Doctor told them.

"The child?!"

"Jaime," Nancy informed him with a little huff.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Not 'the child'. Jaime."

"When's the bomb getting here?" Cassie asked Jack while rummaging in her pocket for something.

"Any second now!" He ran over to the pod, in a slight panic. Making the Doctor chuckle with dark humor.

"What's the matter, _Captain_?" His eyes flicked to Cassie to see her stiffen at his mocking tone, "Little too close to volcano day for you?" Cassie wasn't really paying attention to them in favor of comforting Nancy who was almost sobbing.

"He's just a little boy," she sobbed into Cassie's shoulder.

"Shh, it's alright. I know it's hard," Cassie comforted.

"Just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"I _know_." The Doctor cut in, "There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to find his mother. And this little boy can." His eyes wandered over to Cassie again as she stood beside a completely broken down Nancy. He smiled a little. Always comforting people, even her outburst was a way to comfort Jack.

"It's my fault," Nancy whispered to Cassie.

"No, of course it's not," Cassie murmured. She hated seeing her like this, she'd only known her for a few hours, but Cassie hated seeing anyone this pained over something. And she didn't know why Nancy was being so hard on herself. What she'd glimpsed from the situation, Jaime had been Nancy's brother and had died. She could understand a loss of a sibling but this was something else. She could feel it.

"It is. It's all my fault."

"How could it b-" she broke off when she felt something in her hand. It was the folded up drawing she'd taken from the child's room. The one with the mother in braids. She looked back and forth from the picture to the sobbing girl in her arms. "Doctor!" She assured the girl she would be right back before heading towards the Time Lord still working away on the pod to cancel out the signal. Who apparently was continuing to ignore her.

"Doctor!" She tried again. Still nothing, "Doctor!" She shoved him a little to get his attention.

"What!" He snapped, looking to see her jaw clench, skimming over the pain in her eyes. She just shoved the picture in his face, confusing him even more.

"It's one of Jaime's drawing. Of his _mother_," she hinted for him. She pulled the picture down to reveal Nancy standing behind it, sobbing quietly to herself. She would have laughed at the comical way his eyes widened and began flicking from the drawing to Nancy. He suddenly snatched it out of her hand and went over to the sobbing girl, Cassie not far behind.

"Nancy, what age are you? Twenty, Twenty-one?" The Doctor asked as Cassie went back to her side, "Older than you look, right?" Nancy only shook her head, unable or unwilling to answer.

"Doctor, that bomb – we've got seconds," Jack called from the pod still.

"You can't teleport us out."

"Not you," Jack's eyes flicked to Cassie for a minute, "The nav-com's back on line, gonna take too long to override the protocols-"

"So it's Volcano Day," the Doctor cut across him, not even looking back at him, "Do what you've got to."

Jack looked over at Cassie again to see her giving him a small smile and mouthing, "Good luck," to him. He smiled at her, seeing the right decision in front of him before teleporting out. The Doctor not really knowing noticing.

"Five years ago, you'd have been, what? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth anyway." Cassie hugged the girl tighter as the Doctor continued talking. She knew it was tough to hear, but she had to. "He wasn't your brother, was he?"

"Shh, it's gonna be fine. It's nothing to be ashamed," Cassie whispered as Nancy tried to put her hands over her ears.

"A teenage single mother. In 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him." The gates burst up open as soon as the Doctor finished. The child, Jaime, entered the site; the rest of his 'soldiers' filing in behind him.

"Are you my mummy?"

"He's gonna keep on asking. He's never gonna stop. Never," he placed a hand on Nancy's shoulder.

"You need to tell him," Cassie told the girl. She gave the girl a nudge towards her child, but she only tried to burrow deeper into her embrace.

"Nancy," the Doctor tried, "The future of the Human Race is in your hands. Trust me. Trust us and tell him." Cassie nudged her again and this time the girl went along with it. She walked cautiously over to Jaime who was standing a few feet away.

"Are you my mummy?" He asked again.

Nancy glanced back at Cassie who gave her an encouraging nod and smile. She turned back to Jaime, just standing there. Waiting. She took a deep breath, "Yes." There was no change in Jaime form the answer. So she tried again, "Yes, I'm your mummy." She went to her knees in order to be eye level with him. An explosion went off a few ways away, telling them that the bomb was on its way.

"Mummy?" Jaime asked again, not understanding what she was saying.

"I'm here," Nancy tried again.

"Mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"He doesn't understand, there's not enough left of him," the Doctor explained, not noticing who he was really talking to, to enrapt in what was happening. Nancy glanced back at them once before facing forward with determination.

"Yes. I am your mummy," her voice was thick with tears as she finally accepted what she had been denying for so many years, "I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry." She embraced him, crying into his shoulder as he remained impassive. They surrounded by a huge, golden cloud exactly like the nanogenes on Jack's ship. Only there were hundreds now, thousands just swirling around mother and son.

"Come one. Please!" The Doctor muttered beside Cassie as he watched the nanogenes, "Come on, clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother – she's the mother. There's gotta be enough information left!"

"What's happening?" Cassie asked, wanting to hear the light in his voice when describing what was happening in front of them. This was one of her favorite moments in the series when everything resolved itself and was just … awesome.

"See?" He began, "Recognising the same DNA!" His smile was the widest it had ever been in their entire time together. Just the anticipation was amazing. Suddenly, the cloud disappeared and Nancy was thrown back from Jaime. She looked back at the two time travelers for an explanation for what just happened. They both charged forward; the Doctor going to Jaime and Cassie going to Nancy. Jaime hadn't moved an inch. "Come on! Gimme a day like this! Gimme this one!" He carefully reach towards Jaime's gas-mask with batted breath. He grabbed the nozzle of it and pulled upward … to reveal the face of a little boy with blonde hair underneath. He was adorable! The Doctor let out a huge, glee-filled laugh and hoisted Jaime into his arms, "Welcome back! Twenty years to pop music, you're gonna love it." He turned towards Nancy who was staring at Jaime with disbelief.

"What … what happened?" Cassie squeezed her shoulders in happiness at the joy she could see in her eyes.

"The nanogenes recognised superior information," the Doctor began on his techno-babble that only really Cassie could understand, "The parent DNA. They didn't change you, cos you changed them. Mother knows best." He laughed as he deposited Jaime in front of Nancy who only looked at him with complete love and affection. They both reached for each other at the same time and met in the middle with a hug.

"Jaime..." Nancy breathed to him. Cassie knelt down to her shoulder and rubbed circles into her back.

"He's beautiful," she breathed. But her attention was caught by something else when an explosion went off quite close by them.

"The bomb!" She exclaimed as she rose from her spot and headed towards the Doctor who was still smiling like an idiot. Completely oblivious to anything around him.

"Taken care of!" He declared, giddily.

"How'd you manage that?"

"Psychology." He glanced up as a whistling sound began above them. Cassie just made out a bomb falling to earth to the exact spot they were standing on. She didn't flinch as it came closer and closer, trusting in the Doctor.

Right before it touched down, it was grabbed in the same blinding light that had once held Cassie miles above the air. Jack teleported on top of the bomb, strattling it.

"Nice catch," she commented with a smirk.

"Good lad," the Doctor agreed.

"Doctor-" Jack called out, "The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis, but it won't last long!"

"Change of plane!" The Doctor called back up to him, "Don't need the bomb – can you get rid of it safe as you can?" He gave the man a thumbs up before going to check on something else.

"Cassie?" Jack called down to her.

"Yeah?"

"Goodbye!" And he disappeared from the bomb. Cassie gave a little wave before sighing. But Jack appeared back on the bomb a second later, "By the way. Digging the 60's look." He gave her a wink before disappearing again, the bomb with him. His ship fired up it's engines and zoomed off into the night. Cassie pulled her hair so that it cascaded over one of her shoulders in slight embarrassment. She glanced over at Nancy and Jaime who were so wrapped up in their moment that they didn't even know the bomb had dropped. The Doctor on the other hand was facing the zombie crowd with the nanogenes gathering on his hands.

"And what exactly are you doing?" She questioned as she made her way over to him, a little glad he was still so excited that he forgot to be mad at her.

"Software patch. Gonna email the upgrade," his grin turned to a wild one as he remembered something from before, "You want moves, Cassie? I'll show you moves." He threw his arms out that propelled the nanogenes towards the converted people. The cloud knocked all of them down when it reached them as the Doctor filled the area with joyous laughter, "Everybody lives, Cassie. Just this once! Everybody lives!" He ran forward toward the crowd where a few were already recovering, including Dr. Constantine. "Doctor Constantine – who never left his patients. Back on your feet," he helped the old man up from where he had fallen. "World doesn't want to get by without you yet – and I don't blame it one bit." Constantine looked around quite confused as to what exactly was going on, "These are your patients. All better now!"

"Yes. Yes, so it would seem," Constantine observed around him, "They would also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there a reason for that?"

"Yeah, well, you know … cutbacks," he excused lamely before coming in close to almost share a secret with him, "Listen, whatever was wrong with them before, you're probably gonna find they're cured. Just tell 'em what a great doctor you are, don't make a big thing of it. Okay?" He smiled at him cheekily before heading back to the pod. He stood on top of it before he bellowed, "Right you lot, lots to do. Off you go, beat the Germans, save the world, don't forget the Welfare State!" And he turned back to the pod and fiddled with the controls, "Setting this to self-destruct when everyone's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"You've a season pass to messing with history," Cassie teased, loving that he gave her an endearing smile for it. But then it started to fade as his adrenaline high came down and he remembered what had happened between them a few minutes ago. What she had said. And he went silent. Cassie sighed in frustration and dread for the conversation they were going to have later.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie slinked on to the TARDIS as the Doctor was focusing on flicking switches and pushing buttons on the console. It was one of the few awkward silences they had on the time travel machine. Most of them were because a comment was taken the wrong way and usually ended up with one of them blushing. But this was different. The Doctor cleared his throat, "The nanogenes will clear up their mess and switch themselves off. Cos I just told them to. Nancy and Jaime will go to Doctor Constantine for help – ditto. All in all, all things considered – sorted."

The silence ensued again between them as Cassie made her way to the captain's chair. She bit her lip as she thought about a way to word her thoughts, "Doctor?" He poked his head out on the other side of the rotor to make eye contact. She took a breath before continuing, "I'm … sorry about what I said earlier. It was out of line and way to far. So, I just wanted say, sorry."

"Took you long enough," he muttered under his breath when she had finished. Cassie head snapped up.

"What was that?"

"I said, 'Took you long enough'," he clarified, "I still don't understand why you went off like that at me when I didn't do anything wrong." He went back to working on the coordinates of the TARDIS. It was moments like these where she really wanted to slap him so hard, but now was not the time.

"How can you say that?" She hopped up from her seat and tried following him around the console, "You had no right to berate him like that!"

"I think I had the right when he unleashed a horde of dangerous nanogenes on 1940's London," he looked into the monitor as he spoke.

"If you took the time to actually take into account people's feelings, maybe you'll see the effect your words have on people!" The Doctor whipped his head in her direction to make a retort and saw the tears brimming in her eyes. She viciously wiped her eyes to make the tears disappear. This was the second time on this adventure she was crying. What was happening to her? She never usually cried like this. She turned and rushed through the door to the rest of the TARDIS to cry alone without the Doctor seeing.

The Doctor looked between the monitor and the door Cassie had just exited before sighing and heading after her. He found her at the pool with her sandals off and jeans rolled up to her knees to dangle her feet in the water. She scooted over as he sat down next to her, even taking his shoes and socks off to join her in the water. Whenever they came close to touching she shifted farther away from him.

"Come on," he prompted, "Please talk." She turned her back to him and crossed her arms, giving him the silent treatment. She have may been 17 but that didn't mean she always acted her age.

He stared at her back a minute more before yielding, "Ugh, fine! I'm sorry I asked why you slapped me. I was being stupid."

"And?" Cassie prompted, turning slightly.

"And for making Jack feel worse than he already did," Cassie smiled and turned completely toward him and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed slightly and kept his eyes on his feet swirling in the water.

"I've got one more favor to ask you before I completely forgive you," Cassie sing-songed as the Doctor froze in his circles, "Can we go get _Captain _Jack?" She smiled at the Doctor's eye roll.

"All right. Let's go get the stray – woah!" As soon as the words left his lips, Cassie had shot up from her place, grabbing his arm in the process, and running for the door. Leaving a tail of wet footprints behind them and an the echoing laughter from both of them.

_**CLDW**_

Cassia and the Doctor were back in there awkward dancing positions with _Moonlight Serenade _playing as the TARDIS doors swung open to show Jack sitting in his captains chair drinking a margarita. He swiftly turned his head when the music filtered over to him as Cassie called out to him. "Get in here!"

She almost laughed at is confused expression on his face at the fact a police box was in his ship before he jumped up from seat and ran towards them. Seeing him safe, Cassie turned her attention back to how the Doctor was concentrating far to hard on moving his feet. "Let's try the spin again. But this time, no half-nelsons."

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff," he muttered as he awkwardly spun her around; he glanced up at Jack just standing there, awe struck by the size of the interior of the tiny ship. As most people were, "Close the door, would you. Your ship's about to blow up, there's gonna be draft." Jack reached behind himself and dazily closed the door, keeping his eyes trained on the large pillar in the middle of the console. The Doctor left Cassie flexing out arm from his latest attempt at spinning her to flick a couple of switches to get the rotor going, "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"Bigger on the inside..." he whispered still amazed by the ship. He watched the Doctor run around the console, laughing a little at the man's utter tactics of avoiding dancing again. Cassie sighed before turning to Jack.

"Hey Jack? When you get over the shock, you want to try and show him a thing or two to Mr. Two-Left-Feet over there." She was reaching for his hand when suddenly the music tempo changed to Glenn Miller's _In the Mood_.

"Cassie!" The Doctor called from behind the console, "I've just remembered!"

"Remembered what?" She laughed at the excitement in his voice.

He began snapping his fingers in time to the rhythm and doing some sort of Charleston-esch dance move. "I can dance!" He grabbed Cassie's hand and spun her around the console perfectly before ending in a dip, causing her to laugh at his antics.

"Doctor," Cassie called from the dip, "I thought maybe Jack would like a turn around the console." She glanced over at him upside down (since she was still dipped) smiling at his laughing face.

"I'm sure he would, Cassie, I'm absolutely certain..." the Doctor brought her up from the dip and spun her once more, showing off a little. "...But who with?" Cassie laughed at him as she dipped him this time, much to the amusement of Jack.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat in the same position she was in before the whole adventure had started, reading her book with music playing the background. This time however, instead of classical music, Cassie was listening to "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade. While everything had worked out back in the 1940's, the events had still left her with a want to listen to sad music.

_**By the time I was your age I'd give anything**_

_**To fall in love truly is all I could think**_

_**That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams**_

_**The most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen**_

_**She said 'Boy can I tell you a wonderful thing**_

_**I can't help but notice you're staring at me**_

_**I know I shouldn't say this, but I really believe**_

_**I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me'**_

A knock came from her door and she glanced over to see Jack leaning against the door frame with a little bit of a sad smile on his face. He didn't know what brought on the moment of sadness. His room was placed a few doors down from Cassie's in case he got lost and needed Cassie for help. Plus, he felt better being close to her. So, he'd heard the music and wanted investigate.

It was just her sitting there, reading a book and acting normal. Running around outside in the world, it was hard to remember exactly how old Cassie was. But here, in a fairly normal setting; her age of only 17 just shined through here. She just seemed so mature when you talked to her. But of course, with the life she'd chosen to live, it was hard not to grow up fast.

But it just didn't seem fair to her. He knew it was her choice to do this and anyone who turned it down was an idiot, but it just seemed like she was missing out on so may experiences of a teenager. She was one of the youngest people in her class so she'd already graduated High School, but what about University? Would she take off a few years from travelling in the TARDIS just to go to Uni? She seemed like the type of girl who would want to go to Uni. But Jack couldn't be sure. He knew of one sure thing. As long as they were travelling together, he'd protect her no matter what situation happened.

"Hey!" Cassie greeted with a smile. She marked her page in the book and pressed the volume of her Jukebox down from a remote on her night stand.

"Kind of a sad song, don't you think?" He didn't have clue what the song was called, let alone who sang it, but just the tone of the song seemed sorrow filled.

"Well, with everything that's happened, it seemed appropriate," she shrugged as he came in and sat down on a corner of her bed. They really hadn't talked much since he'd been on the TARDIS. The Doctor was still showing off his 'moves' to her when he'd told Jack to go find a bedroom since she'd been hell bent on him staying. "So how's your room?"

He laughed a little. The room he'd found was absolutely perfect for him. From the steal gray walls to the gun assembling table that was stuck in corner. But this machine seemed to have a knack for it. Cassie's room seemed to embody her very well, "It's great. But, uh, one question." She leaned in closer to hear, "How does it know how to do all this stuff?"

Cassie giggled at his question, "Well, first of all, don't call her an 'it' if you value your life. Secondly, she's slightly telepathic so she can get into your head and stuff and recreate whatever you think your perfect room would be."

"Wait, this thing can get into my head?"

"Told you she's not a thing. She's a SHE! But yeah, also translates languages for you."

Jack shook his head, "I don't believe that." She picked up her book and took the bookmark out from it's place, setting the book down with the pages facing down to hold her place. "Read that," she handed the rectangle to him.

He looked at her skeptically, "'To read is life's greatest pleasure.' I don't see what that proves?"

He plucked the bookmark from his hands and returned it to it's proper place, "I got that custom made from a calligrapher in 1860's Italy. You, my friend, just read Italian like it was English."

"What, no way," he laughed at her.

"Did they ever teach you another language at the Time Agency?"

"Um, yeah," Jack looked at her confused, "Over 175. Why?"

"Ask me something in a different language," she challenged with a grin,

"Okay," he thought for a minute, "Sut oedd eich diwrnod Cassie?"

"Well, it started out nice and normal till some idiot threw some space junk at our time machine, leading another idiot to follow it and get us into this whole big mess," she smiled as he started laughing. She was also pleased in his choice of Welsh since he would be living in Wales very soon.

"Okay, I give," he held up his hands in a mock surrender, "This box has a few tricks up _her _sleeve." Cassie gave a low laugh at the slight hum that spread through her mind.

"She thanks you," she giggled, laughing all the more as he cocked his eyebrow at her before abandoning the question forming in his mind. "I knew you'd give." She opened her book up again to continue reading while Jack thought.

That sentence right there, that she knew something, brought a question to the front of his mind that he'd previously filed away for later. There were certain times during the whole fiasco that left Jack with an odd feeling. How did she know who Jaime felt when he was trashed the hospital room? He understood that she was slightly psychic that could grow over time if it was trained properly, but this wasn't a guess. She'd said it like it was actual fact.

Than there was his con. He did admit that she have the advantage of a clear head since she wasn't fawning all over him. But even so, he was thorough in his cons. Always took everything into account, never said too much, and he always knew how to spin an offer so that it was always slightly the truth. How had she known he was conning her. He'd never broken a case yet and this 17 year-old girl figured it out?

"Cassie?" He began, unsure on how to word it without it sounding like he was accusing her of something, "I've been meaning to ask you some things."

"Mmhmm," she acknowledged as she continued reading, having come to a good part.

"There are some things about what happened that left me questioning."

"What were they?" She replied distractedly.

"How did you know how the child felt?" That got her attention. She snapped the book closed without even bothering to put her bookmark inside. That was tell-tale sign of guiltiness.

"Well, I-it was a psychic thing, you know," her laugh was fake as she opened her book again and began leafing through it to find her place.

"No, but then there was my con. You knew about it and I'm not saying you're not brilliant cause you are. But I've never had anyone figure out something when I don't want them to." Cassie's leafing grew more and more agitated as he spoke. Coming close to actually ripping the pages out of the book. Jack had to put his hands over hers to stop her from doing any damage. "You can trust me, Cassie."

She looked into his eyes with the question, '_Can I?_' She saw trustworthiness and kindness in his eyes. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Okay, I'm about to tell you something that is monumental. No one knows this, not even the Doctor or my family." Jack's eyes widened a little at this confession. He thought she told the Doctor everything. "I know. But this is one of my close guarded secrets. You have to promise to never tell anyone, ever. Unless I give the okay."

"I promise," he said immediately. He was actually a little touched that she was trusting him with something so secret.

"Pinkie swear?" She held out her little finger, offering him to hook his own around it. He gave her a skeptical look before sighing and hooking his finger around hers.

"I promise to never tell your secret to anyone else unless you say it's okay to." He almost wanted laugh at the relief that washed across her face over the linked together fingers.

"Okay, so I guess you could say it started when I was about ten. Me and my sister, my biological sister, were having a fight over the TV remote and we accidentally flicked the channel to BBC America..."

_**Now son I'm only telling you this...**_

_**Because life, can do terrible things**_

**A/N: Only Three more chapters to go! I'm so excited, not just for the ending episode which is one of my favorite episodes but also for the posting of the new story! Plus we've got oodles and oodles of Jack scenes coming up, yeah! But, how will the story take place now that Jack knows about Cassie's little secret? I guess we'll have to see, mwah-ha-ha! }:).**

**So, two things about this chapter. One: I really wanted to focus a little on Cassie's age. I know that in series 1, we were told Rose's age was 19. But after that we never figured out her age again. I always assumed that Rose had turned 20 from series 1 to series 2. She just seemed to get a little bit more mature than the first season. But after her, we don't know Martha, Donna, Amy, Rory, or Clara's age. I know that in the blogs and theory sites people keep saying that Clara's around 26. And maybe you could calculate Amy's age to be 21 (tentatively) during series 5 if you assumed her age was 6 or 7 in 'The Eleventh Hour'. I just thought maybe people should take into account her age, since I've made her younger than Rose. Plus, if she's going to have all these brothers and sisters (and yes, Jack is now a brother to Cassie) than they are going to be thinking about her age a lot. A note for the future, Cassie will be gaining a year in every series. So in this story she's 19 but in the next story she'll be 20.**

**Two: Some of you might be wondering about the whole slapping scene. I just wanted someone to just slap him in the episode. You could tell that Jack was shocked, scared, and so guilty about what had happened and he didn't need the Doctor heaping more guilt on to him. Plus, I was worried about the personality of my OC. I thought she might be turning into a Mary Sue character. So I just wanted have her do something that was completely different than that type of character. I don't think a Mary Sue would slap someone, hmm? **

**So, see you next time. Love life. Be merry. And review.**


	13. Chapter 13: Boom Town

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

Mickey Smith and Rose Tyler were walking briskly through an Welsh train station in Cardiff, laughing and joking together a little as they went. Well, Rose was laughing because Mickey wouldn't stop poking and tickling her. When Mickey finally took a break from tickling and Rose caught her breath, they caught sight of their surroundings.

"You sure this is the right place?" Rose asked her boyfriend as she tried and failed to read the signs around them.

Mickey caught sight of a sign hanging over the passage way that led outside, "Yeah, says Cardiff over there."

"And where is this place we have to go?"

Mickey dug in his pocket for the piece of paper that had all the information they needed to follow, "Says we need to look for a place called the 'Millennium Centre'. And a silver water sculpture." They quickly asked directions from a train station attendant and began walking. The Centre wasn't that far away from the station and once they were close enough to the sculpture, it was almost impossible to miss the little blue box standing next to it. They quickly ran up to it and knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal Jack Harkness giving them a smirking smile.

"Who the hell are you two?" Jack asked, leaning against the side of the TARDIS door. Of course he'd known they were getting company today, Cassie had told him and the Doctor. Jack had just taken it upon himself to be as obnoxious as possible in order to try and embarrass Cassie. He'd been trying very hard to do so the last few adventures. Since the secret had come out and she'd admitted she knew almost everything about him and what he'd do, he'd been trying to be unpredictable. Throw her off, catch her off guard. He'd failed so far, but he wasn't giving up.

"Wha'cha mean who are we?" Rose asked, shocked at the appearance of another man in the TARDIS. She didn't know how she felt about him being there. The Doctor was one thing, he was a nine-hundred year old alien who'd gained her trust (slightly). This was a untrustworthy man that she didn't know anything about. She'd be watching him very closely.

"Who the hell are you?" Mickey finished with a glare. While Rose was only being cautious, he already knew he did not like him. He was far to cheesy, far to flirty, and far to handsome for his taste.

"Captain Jack Harkness – whatever you're selling, we're not buying," he said glancing at Mickey before turning to Rose, "But you, right this way." He opened his arm as Rose scampered through, his arm closing as Mickey tried to get through. Jack gave him a challenging look. Mickey only rolled his eyes.

"Get outta my way!" He shoved his way past him and into the TARDIS where a very purple looking Cassie was being hugged tightly by Rose. Mickey could only laugh, "Hey, Rose. Let her breath before she passes out."

Rose reluctantly let go of her sister and muttered a 'Sorry'. Cassie breathed in a deep breath when she could, before being engulfed in a Mickey hug. She laughed at his enthusiasm.

"So this must be Mickey and Rose-" Jack observed, smiling at Rose who'd taken a position next to him on the railing. She giggled at his wink.

"Oi!" Cassie protested before Mickey could get worked up, "Two things. One, these two are dating so no 'saying hello'. Two, you can't hit on her anyway."

"And why's that?" Jack asked with a lifted eyebrow. Cassie only smirked at him as she made her way over to him.

"Brother Jack, meet sister Rose," she stepped back and laughed at the expressions on their faces. Jack had a slightly horrified look on his face while Rose just had a look of confusion.

"You never told me she was your sister!" Jack practically shouted at the same time as Rose questioned, "How is he your brother?"

"I'll explain later," she assured them both, still laughing at their faces. She was spared from having to answer any questions (since both of them had on faces of 'this is not over') by the the Doctor walking in, fiddling with a gizmo and having a red light strapped to his head.

"Here comes trouble," he teased as he saw Mickey standing next to Cassie. His eyes skimmed over Rose who was standing next Jack. He still hadn't forgiven her, "How've you been, Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey," Cassie and Mickey called together. Rose smiled at the little pout that appeared on her boyfriend's face. She went over and kissed him on the cheek to settle him. She glanced over at the Doctor and her smile fell a little at him not even looking at her as he passed by them to get up on a gantry next to the wall. She truly did understand why he was acting like this. After she'd thought back to what she'd done, she saw it. She'd been selfish. She'd put her father's life (a life that had was supposed to have already ended) above the world and she'd lost her sister because of it. If it wasn't for Pete's bravery, Cassie would still be lost and the world would have ended. She felt shame whenever she thought about it. It even made her sick to her stomach.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by hand on her arm. She glanced up and saw Cassie giving her a smile, "Don't worry, he's just stubborn. He'll forgive you one day. Then you can join us," Cassie smiled at her sister.

"I don't think I'm cut out for your life," Rose admitted. She'd thought a long time about it. She thought she'd love to come with Cassie and the Doctor. But if her past adventure had anything to do with it, she didn't think she'd be joining them anytime soon.

"Oh, trust me. You are," she insisted before heading over to Mickey who, even with a kiss from his girlfriend, was still pouting a little, "And you," she tweaked his nose a little, "Don't mind him. He's just in a bad mood 'cause the TARDIS is cross with him."

"She's not cross with me!" The Doctor defended from above, "She's just acting out!"

"Because you broke the Helmic Regulater!" She countered. He gave her a shocked look that she actually knew what he'd done, "She told me."

The Doctor only pouted as Jack laughed, "I love it when she does that."

"So..." Mickey said, pulling her attention back him, "You've got yourself a brother, then?" He seemed awkward as he asked it. Like he was a little jealous of it.

"But you'll always be my favorite brother," she tousled his none existent hair and hugged him. When she pulled back, he did actually have a smile on his face.

"You're looking all right," he observed, looking her up and down. And she did look good, even better than when she left. Her red hair was pulled up in ponytail that fell in waves a little bit past her shoulders. Tiny sun earrings poked out of her ears made of a metal that Mickey didn't recognise. A red, 'Coca-cola' t-shirt could be seen under her white fleece coat paired with a pair of black jeans and red converse. The last accessory was green, silk scarf wrapped around her neck. Her skin was a good deal tanner than when she'd left.

"Thanks," Cassie smiled, "I got a wicked tan 'cause we got stuck on some desert planet and I couldn't get my sunblock." She hugged him again and motioned for Rose to join in. Cassie smiled contentedly in-between the two.

"Hey look at these three, sweet," Jack teased before turning towards the Doctor, "How come I never get any of that?"

"Buy me a drink, first," the Doctor quipped.

"You're such hard work."

"But worth it!" He answered back with a smile. Cassie laughed at the two of them, breaking up the hug.

"Did you guy's find it?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah. I've got it right here," Rose answered as she dug into her pocket and produced Cassie's passport.

"It's took us half an hour to get past your mum, trying to keep her off the scent. There you go-" Mickey finished. Cassie smiled a little at the way the two of them kept finishing each other's sentences. It was a good sign. She turned up to the Doctor.

"Now I can go anywhere!"

"I've said, you don't need a passport," he called down.

"It's fine when we go to places like Platform One, Justicia, and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Australia or Brazil, I'm gonna need this. Plus, it gave an excuse for these two to come down and see me since _someone_ refused to take me home because of my mom." She looked at him pointedly as he magically became silent and began to head down the gantry.

"Sounds like you're staying, then," Mickey muttered.

"Hm?" Cassie asked turning back to them.

"Aboard the TARDIS," Rose clarified, a little sad at the prospect.

"Yeah, course I am." Cassie had a confused smile on her face at what they were asking.

"So what're you doing in Cardiff?" Mickey changed the topic, "And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash?" He pointed to Jack who was grinning cockily from the console, "I mean, I don't care if you're travelling about with old big-ears up there-"

"Oi!" The Doctor protested.

"Look in the mirror! But him. He's all sort of, I dunno..."

"Handsome?" Jack supplied.

"More like, cheesy," Rose agreed. Cassie nudged her in the arm. She expected this kind of over-protectiveness from Mickey, but her? Cassie thought she'd be all right with this.

"Early twenty-first century slang," Jack figured out loud, "Is cheesy good or bad?"

"It's bad," Mickey assured.

"But bad means good, right?"

"You saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor jumped into the conversation, coming up to them.

"Anyway," Cassie interrupted before the four of them got into a squabble, "The reason we're here in Cardiff, the city's got a rift running through the middle of it. It's completely invisible, but it's like the fault in California except between dimensions-" Cassie smiled as she remembered slightly the scene that was about to unfold. This was one of her favorite scenes from Series 1. Rose and Mickey were already looking lost.

"The rift was healed, back in 1869-" the Doctor continued before Cassie took over again.

"All thanks to a girl called Gwyneth, cos a group of creatures called the Gelth were trying to use the rift as a way to get into our world, but she saved us and closed the door-" Jack took the next part.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race-" then the Doctor.

"But perfect for the TARDIS; I just park it here for a couple of days, right on top of the scar-" back to Jack.

"Open up the engines and soak up the radiation-" Cassie took over.

"Like filling up a car with gas, and then we're off-"

"Into time-" Jack laughed as he began the round of high-fives.

"And space!" Cassie and the Doctor joined in together high-fiving each other and laughing before turning back to Rose and Mickey. Both looking like they'd just stepped in something, utterly and completely lost.

"Oh, God," Rose breathed.

"Have you seen yourselves? You think you're so clever," Mickey observed.

"Yeah."

"Duh."

"Yup."

_**CLDW**_

The quintet piled out of the blue box into the biting air of Cardiff bay breeze. Cassie pulled on her black leather gloves and gave Rose a one over. She didn't understand how she could stand the cold weather in nothing but a jean jacket and shorts! Plus all she had to keep warm was a holey scarf and fingerless gloves. Sometimes Cassie didn't understand her style choices. When they went shopping, she'd tried to get Rose to try a little bit more dressier clothes. But her sister refused and immediately went for the ripped jeans and t-shirts.

She just shook her head and dealt with a shiver that was caused by just looking at Rose before the Doctor spoke, "Should take another twenty-four hours. Which leaves us with time to kill."

"That old woman's staring," Mickey muttered as he watched an old lady exiting a shop watching them.

"Probably wondering what four people can do inside a small wooden box," Jack offered as he patted Mickey's shoulder suggestively with a smile.

"What are you captain of," Mickey's lip curled a little at his words, "the Innuendo Squad?" Cassie just laughed at him and linked arms with Rose. Mickey was about to follow when he caught sight of the exterior of the TARDIS, "But – hold on – the TARDIS, how can you just leave it, doesn't it get noticed?"

"What is it with the whole police-box thing anyway," Jack asked, "Why's it look like that?"

"I've wondered that myself," Rose piped up from next to Cassie.

"It's called a chameleon circuit, it helps the TARDIS blend," Cassie enlightened. She was a little worried about letting slip that little bit of information. But, the Doctor had taught her enough about TARDIS that maybe she could sneak it by without it getting noticed. Evidently she was right as the Doctor just nodded and smiled at her.

Jack frowned a little at her explanation, he guessed this was a little of her knowledge from the 'show'. He'd been listening closely to the Doctor's explanation of the TARDIS's controls and never in his long winded monologue did he ever mention the workings of a chameleon circuit.

"The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself, wherever it lands. Like, if this was ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something," the Doctor began, "But it landed in the 1960's, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."

"You mean there were actual police-boxes around in the 60's?" Rose asked with confused eyebrows.

"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help, before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove 'em inside, till they could get help. Like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you fix the circuit?" Jack wondered.

"I dunno. I like it!" The Doctor cheered with a smile, "Don't you?"

"I think it's brilliant," Cassie assured, "Now can we go?"

The Doctor motioned for them to go. But Mickey stopped them leaving by staying on the topic, "But that's what I meant – there's no police boxes any more, doesn't it get noticed?"

"Rickey," the Doctor started before Cassie interrupted.

"Mickey!"

"Whatever, let me tell you about the Human Race. Put a mysterious box slap bang in the middle of town, and what do they do?" The Doctor asked with an expectant look.

"They keep on walking now lets GO!" Cassie urged as she pushed the Doctor and Mickey from behind to get them moving. Jack and Rose laughed at the two men's faces.

"So what's the plan?" Rose called as she skipped ahead.

"Anything! It's Cardiff, early twenty-first century, and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me. Safest place in the universe..." the Doctor assured before being shoved forward roughly.

"Don't go talking like that! Those words are almost the same as 'Nothing could possible go wrong!'" Cassie shouted.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor, Cassie, Jack, Rose, and Mickey were sitting in an outside eating area of a restaurant. Jack was in the middle of telling the most outrageous and unbelievable story to them and they were currently making quite a bit of noise at the moment.

"I so wish I could've been there to see this," Cassie wheezed between breaths, tears forming in her eyes from laughter.

"Your lying through your teeth!" The Doctor challenged through his laughing.

"I swear, sixty foot tall, and with tusks," Jack continued describing the creature in the story more in detail.

"I'd've gone bonkers! That's the word, bonkers!" Rose interjected through her tears.

"It turns out, the white things were tusks, and I mean _tusks_. And it's woken up!"

"How could you not know it was there?" The Doctor asked.

"And it's not happy! And we're standing there, all fifteen of us naked-"

"Naked?!" Cassie laughed.

"And I'm like going, oh nothing to do with me," his voice turned cartoon-like before returning to normal, "And then it roars! And we're running! Oh my God, we are running, and Brakovitch falls over, and I turn back and I say to him-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey jumped in with a smile at being able to figure out the punch line before he actually said it. The rest of the group burst out laughing, much to the subtle displeasure of the other guests in the restaurant.

"That's my line," Jack exclaimed with a laugh.

"I don't know if I should believe you, how many stories have you told me that weren't true? That situation is too ridiculous! Even for us. Did your clothes ever turn up?" Cassie went on protesting Jack's stories. The Doctor was looking over at her, smiling at her enthusiasm. Until something behind her head caught his eye. A newspaper a man was reading, more specifically the cover story. He headed over to another table where a newspaper had been left behind. Jack continued his story in the background.

"No, I just picked him up and ran. Back to the ship, full throttle, kept going till I hit the spacelanes and then I was shaking! Didn't hit me till I was fifteen light years away. I was like this!" The Doctor's sigh interrupted his story and brought the groups attention to him. He looked up at them with tired eyes.

"And I was having such a nice time," he held up the paper that had a big picture of Margaret Blaine, holding a hand in front of her face in an effort to try and hide her face. The title underneath the photo declared that she was now the Mayor of Cardiff.

Mickey and Rose's eyes widened at the picture while Jack only looked confused. Cassie only sighed exasperatedly, "So it's gonna be one of those days."

She quickly extracted her diary from her back pocket as the others gathered around the Doctor to read the article in the paper and read the words listed there.

_Blaidd Drwg_

_Margaret_

_The Rift_

_**CLDW**_

The five of them walked into the town hall side by side. They quickly ascended the staircase and stopped there to coordinate. Jack began by debriefing them on the facts he'd learn from the TARDIS database.

"According to the intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin-suit. Okay!" Jack changed from spitting out facts to coming up with a plan of action, "Plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty-seven/fifty-six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor, Doctor, you go face-to-face, so let's designate that as Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Cassie, you and Rose'll be Exit Three, Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four, have you got that?"

The Doctor turned and gave him a stern look, "Excuse me. Who's in charge?"

Jack looked a little bit sheepish and put off, "Sorry. Waiting for orders, sir."

"Right. Here's the plan," the Doctor looked forward before smiling, "Like he said. Nice plan! Got anything else?"

"Present arms," Jack ordered. Each one of them pulled out their mobiles. The Doctor and Jack having disposable ones just for this occasion, pulled out from the TARDIS archive.

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Speed dial?" Jack pressed a button on his phone and input the number for a group call.

"Yup."

"We're good."

"Ready."

"Check."

"Then let's go. See you in hell," he headed off in the direction of his exit while the others headed off in opposite directions.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor walked up to the secretary stationed outside the Mayor's office. "Hello! I've come to see the Lord Mayor."

"Have you got an appointment?" The young man questioned skeptically, having known the Mayor's schedule inside and out. And nowhere on it did read an appointment.

"No, I'm just an old friend, passing by, bit of a surprise. I can't wait to see her face," he smiled. Actually picturing the look on her face when his name was mentioned.

"Well, she's having her cup of tea, she wouldn't want to be disturbed," the young man insisted.

"Just go in there, and tell her, the Doctor would like to see her."

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor." He smiled even wider, "Tell her exactly that. The Doctor."

"Hold on a tick..." the secretary headed towards the door and disappeared inside. The Doctor listened at the keyhole and after a few seconds the sound of a breaking teacup came from inside. The secretary quickly emerged from the door looking flustered before addressing him, "Um. The Lord Mayor says, thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat. But she's up to her eyes in paperwork, perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week...?"

The Doctor smiled expectantly, "She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?"

"Uh, yes she is," the secretary admitted. The Doctor sprang into action, he pushed past the secretary and ran into the room heading for the balcony.

"Margaret!" He called as he spotted her climbing down the fire escape. She looked back for a second and continued climbing down. The Doctor lifted the phone to his ear and pressed the button to connect all the phones together, "Slitheen heading north!"

_**CLDW**_

"On my way-" Rose called into the phone.

"Comin' at ya-" Cassie confirmed.

"Over and out-" Jack affirmed.

"Oh my God!" Mickey breathed

_**CLDW**_

Cassie led the way through the corridor with Rose not far behind. They were coming up on some secretaries in front of them. Cassie just smirked and did exactly what the Doctor would do. She pushed right through them causing papers to fly everywhere. She only laughed at them and kept running.

"Sorry!" Rose called behind her to the secretaries who were just picking up the papers. "I think the Doctor's rubbing off on you. Since when are you so rude?"

"Comes with the job," she called back with a laugh and a smile. Rose only frowned, this wasn't like Cassie.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie and Rose emerged from around a corner and saw Margaret heading towards them. She hissed at them, and turned to run, only to be blocked off by Jack coming from another direction. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Doctor running towards her. The only way not blocked was forward and she took it.

"Who was on Exit Four?" Jack demand since their prisoner was escaping through that exit.

"Mickey had it!" Cassie answered. Mickey appeared from a different exit than the one he was on, with a bucket stuck on his foot. Cassie would have laughed if it not for the seriousness of the situation.

"Here I am!" Mickey announced, completely oblivious to his blunder.

"Mickey the idiot," the Doctor growled out in annoyance.

"Oh be fair, she's not exactly gonna outrun us, is she?" Rose reasoned as they watched Margaret running with tiny steps since she was running in heals. They watched her a second more and Cassie could see an almost smile forming on Rose's face. Till Margaret disappeared in blue light and Rose's smile dropped.

"Teleport! She's got a teleport! That's cheating, now we're never gonna get her-" Jack complained before Cassie cut him off.

"It's fine. The Doctor's a genius when it come to teleports," she smiled. The Doctor stepped forward and simply held his sonic screwdriver. It buzzed for a minute until Margaret appeared, running toward them and looking particularly confused. She turned and ran the other way, teleporting out in the process. The Doctor buzzed his sonic another time causing her to appear again, this time closer to them. She turned and fled in the blue light. He only buzzed his sonic once more and she appeared right in front of them. She gave up trying to teleport away and sagged in exhaustion.

"I could do this all day," the Doctor told her.

"This is persecution," Margaret wheezed, bent over from running, "Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

The Doctor's smile dropped a little, "You tried to kill me, my companion, and destroy this entire planet."

"Apart from that?"

_**CLDW**_

The five time travellers plus Margaret strolled into the exhibition room that held a model of some power station.

"...So you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, your family gets killed, but you teleport out, just in the nick of time. You're alone, you're trapped, no means of escape, what do you do? You build a nuclear power station! But what for...?" The Doctor mused examining the model in front of him.

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways," Margaret waved off.

"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift."

"What rift would that be?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

"A rift in space and time," Jack supplied, "Now closed, but the scar is right underneath the reactor. If that power station went into meltdown..."

"The rift could open?" Cassie asked.

"Oh yeah. Catastrophe! Whole planet would just... schwwwup!" He mimicked an explosion in order for them to get the picture.

"This station is designed to explode," the Doctor observed from studying the model, "The moment it reaches capacity."

"...But didn't anyone notice?" Rose tried to wrap her head around the situation, "Isn't there someone in London, checking this sort of stuff?"

Margaret only scoffed, "We're in Cardiff, London doesn't care! The South Wales coast could fall into the sea, and they wouldn't notice-" she stopped suddenly as her eyes widened a bit, "Oh, I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

"But why would she do all that?" Mickey jumped in, "Great big explosion, she'd just end up killing herself."

"She's got a name, you know," Margaret snapped with a glare.

"She's not even a she, she's a thing."

"Oh but she's clever!" The Doctor exclaimed. He jammed his hands under the display and uprooted the station model, causing model buildings on top of the base to fly everywhere. He flipped it over to reveal a circuitry board with flashing lights and random wires embedded in it, "Fantastic!"

Jack turned with huge smile and awe in his eyes, "...Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?"

The Doctor looked impressed that he was able to say all that in one breath, "Couldn't have put it better myself. Look at it! The workmanship!" He tossed it to Jack as something else caught his eye.

"Genius! You didn't build that?" Jack insisted, almost caressing the board.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering," Margaret shrugged.

"No, I mean you _really _didn't build that. Way beyond you."

"I bet she stole it," Mickey theorized.

"What is it exactly?" Cassie asked, fingering some lights on the board. She had a vague feeling of what it was but she couldn't be sure.

"It's transport!" Jack enlightened, "Y'see, the reactor blows up, the rift opens, phenomenal cosmic disaster, but this thing shrouds you in a forcefield, you've got this energy bubble, zzhum, all around you, so you're safe – then you just feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion, all the way out of the solar system-"

"It's a surfboard!" Mickey exclaimed, amused at the simple action of such a complex device.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yup."

"And it would've worked," Margaret hissed, "I'd have surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilization."

"News flash," Cassie sniped, "Just 'cause we don't have warp travel doesn't mean we're animals rolling around in the mud." Margaret's face told her that she didn't believe that.

"You'd blow up a planet? Just to get a lift?" Mickey looked disgusted by her and put an arm around Rose's waist.

"Like stepping on an anthill," Margaret sneered.

"How did you think of the name...?" The Doctor called from the far end of the room. His back was to them and he was staring at the green banner placed across the fireplace. He just kept staring at it, like it was the most important thing in the world.

"What, Blaidd Drwg?" Margaret observed, not really caring, "It's Welsh."

"I know, but how did you think of it?"

"Chose it at random, that's all, I don't know. Just sounded good. Does it matter?"

The Doctor turned towards Cassie, "Blaidd Drwg."

"What's it mean?" Cassie wondered, a niggling in the back of her mind.

"Bad Wolf."

"Bad W-Ah!" Cassie clutched at her head as a sharp stab resonated through her brain and collapsed to the ground, trying to curl in on herself. She could barely make out people shouting and someone tugging at her arms. The main part of her focus were on the images flashing in front of her eyes. They were different instances from all the travels her and the Doctor had been on.

Platform 1 _..."Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario"..._ The Mox of Balhoon.

19th century Cardiff _..."The Darkness. The Big Bad Wolf"..._ Gwyneth

Her first visit home _...The white spray paint read out Bad Wolf on the TARDIS door... _

Van Statten's museum _..."Bad Wolf One arriving"... _One of Van Statten's guards.

Stallite Five _...Bad Wolf TV featuring the Face of Boe... _

London, 1987 _...Bad Wolf sprayed across a poster on the street..._

In the London Blitz _...The bomb had 'Schlechter Wolf' written across it..._

And things that had yet to come for them for them.

_...Giant letters reading 'Bad Wolf' on a station lite up by white lights..._

_...The same letters scrawled across the pavement in the parking lot outside of the Powell Estate..._

_...And a bright light encircling a girl and giving her immense powers, but the girl's face was obscured. Unrecognizable..._

"Cassie," the images were beginning to fade, "Cassie," reality was beginning to reassert itself in her mind, "Cassie!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know!"

"She just collapsed. How what the hell happened?"

"As I've been saying I don't know!"

"Is she gonna be alright?"

"I don't know!"

Different voices were bouncing around in Cassie's head. She knew they were familiar, but with the strain on her mind; she couldn't put names to voices. They were becoming clearer and light was beginning to filter in-between her closed eyes. She felt hands clasped around both her wrists and hands resting on her temples and the sonic buzzing in her ears.

"Get the sonic out of my face or I'm gonna shove it up your nose," she breathed uneasily. She heard uneasy laughter around her and the buzzing stopped. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Rose and Mickey crowded around her. The Doctor could been seen a little ways behind their heads, reading the settings on his sonic to try and see what had happened to her. Jack was the only one not crowded around her, but she could see from the worry etched on his face that he wanted to be near her. But someone had to stay near Margaret to stop her from running away.

"How're you feeling?" Rose asked as she and Mickey helped Cassie sit up.

"I'm fine, just … a little worn out. Any ideas on what happened?" Her question was directed at the Doctor who kept fiddling with his sonic.

"Don't know. These readings are to complex for the sonic to understand. I'll have to wait till we're back on the TARDIS and start an analysis program."

"But the phrase?" Cassie continued, "It's been everywhere we've been."

"Everywhere we go," the Doctor agreed, saving the readings on his sonic and pocketing it before turning back to the sign, "Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf."

"Are they really following us or what?" She leaned against Mickey's shoulder for support. He squeezed her a little in encouragement and relief that she wasn't injured. The Doctor just frowned a little before it turned into a smile.

"Naah, just coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio, then hearing it all day. Never mind! Things to do..." he walked back to them with his dopey smile.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Cassie whispered to Mickey who laughed.

"Margaret, we're gonna take you home," the Doctor announced.

"Hold on," Jack said, "That's an easy option, isn't that like letting her go? And shouldn't you be a little more worried about what the hell happened to Cassie just now?"

"I'm perfectly fine-" Cassie protested before getting cut off by the Doctor.

"It's a decent planet, nice people, they can decide what to do with her. And you heard what I said. I can't decipher the results till we get to the TARDIS. Other than that, Cassie seems perfectly normal."

"If everyone can stop with the worrying about Cassie," Cassie spoke up, "I'm fine and I would much rather visit Raxacoricofallapatorious than stay in the med bay on the TARDIS."

"Hold on," Rose interjected. Cassie just rolled her eyes, convinced her sister was about to protest her going anywhere, "Raxaci – no, hold on, wait a minute – Raxa-" Cassie just smiled at her sister turning the topic from her to a planet.

"Raxacoricofallapatorious," the Doctor supplied. A tiny smile forming on his lips. He was finally warming up to Rose after seeing her so upset over Cassie.

"Raxacorio..." Rose trailed off, helping Cassie to her feet.

"Fallapatorious," Cassie finished.

"Raxacoricofallapatorious," Rose completed smoothly, almost giddy at her success. She passed Cassie to Mickey so she wouldn't be to jostled.

"Well done Rose," Cassie praised. She leaned on Mickey and Rose for support since her legs still weren't stable enough.

"They have the death penalty," Margaret broke up the little celebration with her hard words and gave them all glares. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence, many years ago, and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home, and you take me to my death."

"Not my problem," he stated coldly. He kept her gaze before heading out of the room. Cassie, Rose, and Mickey followed; Cassie getting stronger with every step. Jack ushered Margaret forward to keep an eye on her. She left reluctantly and Jack brought up the rear.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat on the captain's chair sipping a bottle of water, she'd wanted to stand up and stretch her legs; but she'd been out voted four to one for her to sit down. She'd figured what was the point of fighting them? She felt fine know, but they were still hesitant.

Rose was standing behind the captain's chair, not entirely sure where to stand in the TARDIS. Mickey stood next to her with a hand on her waist, keep an eye on their new alien prisoner.

Meanwhile, Margaret was slowly walking around the console with the same awe on her face as everyone else who walked through those doors, "Oh but this ship is impossible! It's superb! How do you get the outside around the inside...?"

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah," the Doctor scoffed as he reconfigured some of the TARDIS systems to make the integrating of the extrapolator into the TARDIS's technology easier.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance, this is the technology of the gods." The Doctor gave her a look.

"Don't worship me, I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters," he glanced down at Jack through the grating, "Jack, how we doing, big fella?" Jack was busy attaching wires to the extrapolator in connection to the console.

"This extrapolator's top of the range," Jack called up, "Where did you get it?"

"I don't know, some airlock sale," Margaret said absentmindedly, still taking in the TARDIS.

"Must've been a great big heist," Jack contradicted, "It's stacked with power."

"But can we use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked, reading some symbols that appeared on the scanner.

"It's gonna take a bit of work," Jack admitted as he popped back to the upper level, "It's not compatible. But it should knock off about twelve hours, we'll be ready to go by the morning."

"Then we're stuck here. Overnight," the Doctor grumbled. He didn't like being one place for more than a few hours. And now he was stuck for a whole day. It was making him antsy.

"I'm in no hurry," Margaret smirked.

"So, you've got a prisoner," Rose asked with an amused expression, "That's weird. Like the police box really is a police box." She started laughing a bit at the idea, but it was quickly silenced by Margaret.

"You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes _you_ my executioners. Each and every one of you."

"You deserve it," Mickey accused. He was calmed by Cassie putting a hand on his wrist.

"You're very quick to say so. And yet, very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how, exactly?" Margaret's words created an awkward silence in the time machine. Seeming satisfied with her words, Margaret took a seat on the far edge of the captain's chair. Cassie shifted away from her; causing her to sit half on, half off the seat.

"Long night ahead. Let's see who can look me in the eye," her voice was almost cheery even if her topic was morbid. She turned her gaze to Mickey who crossed his arms almost like a challenge. But the more he looked, he grew uncomfortable and flicked his eyes away from her.

Then to Rose, who held her gaze for a few seconds before turning to Mickey. Then to Jack who didn't even meet her gaze for a second before going back to work. Then the Doctor, he kept his gaze down, focusing on his work. He glanced up but didn't even meet her eyes before glancing back down.

Maragret's smile grew with every person till she landed on Cassie. The girl had already been glaring at her for sometime and her glare only intensified when Margaret turned to her. Cassie held her gaze longer than anyone else on the TARDIS. Margaret's smiled began to fall the more she stared at the girl. It was almost like she could see all the people that were in her past in her eyes. Her dead brothers, the people they'd killed for their skins, even that journalist she'd talked to earlier in the day. All their images seemed to flash through the red-haired girl's eyes. The images became too much, and Margaret looked away from the girl's piercing gaze.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie shivered a little as she stepped out of the TARDIS, Mickey and Rose behind her. She wrapped her scarf around herself tightly, "What month is it?" She inquired. The Doctor had told her to expect a cold day when they had landed, but he never told her the date. She figured it was so she wouldn't feel guilty about the lapse in time between visits.

"It's early November," Rose answered.

"Damn him," Cassie muttered. Her last visit had been in the middle of September, "It's freezing."

"Better than in there," Mickey commented, glancing back at the box. Cassie wasn't sure if it was because Margaret was there or if he was still coming to terms with the size of the inside, "She does deserve it, she's a Slitheen, I don't care." Cassie smiled sadly at him. Margaret did deserve it. No matter what someone said to try and persuade her, even if was the Doctor, she wouldn't change her mind. Margaret had put her entire family: Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Amy, Rory, Mels, Lily, Chris; in danger. Cassie would never forgive or forget that.

"It's just..." Mickey began again, "Weird, inside that box."

"You've just got to get use to it," Cassie insisted, sure that if Mickey just gave it a chance, he would love the TARDIS almost as much as she did. She looked over at them both, they had solemn looks on their faces, "You guys do know I really didn't need my passport, right?"

They looked over at her. They hadn't believed her when she'd said this gave her a chance to see them. The gaps between her visits were getting longer and longer, and they were all afraid that one day, she just wouldn't come back. Whether it was from being killed or she just forgot them and never looked back. They didn't even know how to cope with that thought, let alone what they would say to her friends down in Leadworth. She was practically family to all of them. Amy's Aunt Sharon loved her, Mr. Williams treated her like a daughter, Mels and Lily's foster parents hoped she would be a good influence on both of them, and Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey adored her. They would be crushed if she just … disappeared.

But they smiled at her anyway, not letting their fears be shown. They'd talked about this as they were riding up, Cassie was not the type of person that liked clingy people.

"We were thinking," Mickey began, "Y'know, we could … go for a drink, have a pizza or something. Just us three."

"Oh, I'd like that," Cassie smiled, "A proper 21st century meal with foods I know how to pronounce." Mickey and Rose laughed at that.

"We were also thinking that since the TARDIS isn't able to leave till morning," Rose continued, "We could rent two hotel rooms, since it would take to long to travel back to London. You and me could have a sleepover with Mickey in the next room."

"Hey," Mickey protested with a smile.

"Fine," Rose conceded, "You can visit our sleepover." She kissed him on the cheek before turning back to Cassie, "We've both got a little bit of money."

"That would be awesome," Cassie cheered as she hugged them. They laughed along with her.

"You sure it's all right?" Rose hoped.

"Of course it is!"

"Cool. There's a couple of bars around here, let's give 'em a go," Mickey glanced back that the TARDIS, "D'you need to go and tell him...?" Cassie just gave him a look.

"I'm not some puppy that answers to his master, Mickey. I can make my own choices," she shook her head at him and linked arms with both of them as the walked away from the sculpture and the TARDIS.

_**CLDW**_

The Doctor watched as the three of them walked off through the TARDIS scanner. He watched, a little jealous of the feeling of family between the three of them. He wanted his family back so much, and Cassie had started to fill that hole. But just seeing that she already had a bond with other people, it hurt him a little.

But he couldn't think about that right now. Right now, he had to worry about getting the TARDIS on its way, Margaret back to Raxacoricofallapatorious, and figure out what had happened to Cassie in the exhibition room. He transferred the readings from his sonic into the TARDIS mainframe and began the analysis program as he turned back to Jack and Margaret. The program would take 3 hours to complete.

_**CLDW**_

"So, the Doctor sent us on a trip to this planet a few days before my last visit," Cassie continued as they walked out of a pub, a soda still in her hand. Even though Mickey had said they would go for a drink, since Cassie was still underage, Rose had insisted she order a soft drink, "It was some much colder than here. But, it was called Woman Wept. The reason was, I think, because they have this huge continent on it and it actually looks like a a woman weeping from the atmosphere," she was taking sips in-between sentences. Oblivious, to the worried expressions on her sister and friend's faces, "And we went to this beach on it, and it wasn't like one of our beaches; all commercial and crowded by people. Just … empty. And he was telling me about this event that took place that had something to do with the sun. And because of this, the sea had actually frozen. And there was a storm going on at the time and it had frozen in a second. It was midnight and we were just … walking through these 100 foot waves, frozen in mid-crash. It was just amazing..."

"Cassie, we have something to tell you," Rose interrupted Cassie story.

"Yeah?" Rose and Mickey exchanged a look. They'd discussed telling her this while she was in the bathroom.

"Um, Chris' dating again," Mickey continued. Stuttering a little between syllables.

"Well, that's good," Cassie said, "I mean, we broke up. So, who is he going out with?"

"It's, uh. It's Amy," Rose admitted. Cassie's smile dropped. She had not been expecting that. Any other girl, any other girl would have been okay with her. But, Amy? She was Cassie's best friend. She was dating Rory! How could she be going out Chris?

"But, she's was going out with Rory," Cassie almost whimpered. Rose put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"They broke up about month ago."

"But, but, she would have called me," Cassie insisted, still unable to believe the truth.

"She told me she did call you. But it went to voicemail and she didn't want to tell you this through a message," Rose comforted. Mickey stood off to the side, not sure how to comfort the distressed girl.

Cassie did remember a little icon on her phone saying that Amy had tried to call her, but she hadn't found time to get back to her. "But. But," Mickey hated seeing her like this. She just looked so lost and abandoned. He was obviously against telling her.

"So tell us more about that planet," Mickey tried, failing to get her mind off the Amy/Chris relationship.

"That's was it," Cassie breathed out as she leaned on Rose. Her eyes still wide with confusion.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie sat by a railing, her feet dangling over the edge as she was lost in her thoughts. Rose and Mickey stood a few feet away, worried about how she was taking the news. Rose had done everything she could think of to try and get her back to her old self, so now it was Mickey's turn. Rose nudged him forward and he sat down next to Cassie.

"So, what d'you want to do now?" He asked awkwardly.

"Doesn't matter," she deadpanned.

"There was a bar down there with a sort of Spanish name or something, we could try in there. It wasn't too full, we could find a table-"

"How could she do that to me?" Cassie asked rhetorically, changing the subject abruptly. Mickey's face looked like he'd just received whiplash.

"Rose," he called weakly. Very scared of what Cassie might become when she got angry. It wasn't often she was angry, but you wanted to clear the room when she was.

"We are best friends! And I get that I'm not exactly in the most reachable place right now, but-"

"Rose!" Mickey called, panicked.

"That is rule in the girl-friend code! You never date your best friend's ex!" Her voice was rising and people were starting to look over at them as Rose came over to try and sooth Cassie, "She could have tried to call more! 10 times, 50 times! Not just 1 time!" She started breaking down and Rose pulled her head to her chest, "She should have called me!" And she cracked. She started sobbing into Rose's chest, who was whispering soothing words into her ear. It was very much like the scene that had taken place between Nancy and Cassie in the 1940's. Mickey awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder hoping to extol some comfort to her as she sobbed away her feelings.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie's sobs were beginning to die down, turning into sniffling. Rose's comforting had turned from whispering words to rubbing her back. Mickey sat next to both of them, holding Cassie's hands in his. Cassie's lips were moving in silent words, no noise coming from her at all.

"There'll be other boys," Rose began, "And you'll have a chance to meet all kinds of boys on your travels. Boys from other time periods, other worlds." A rumbling began in the background catching Cassie's interest. Her attention turned from Rose's words to the rumbling.

"Do you hear thunder?" She asked, picking up her head.

"Does it matter?" Mickey asked, confused.

"But it's not thunder," she unsteadily got to her feet and began to look around. Just as she was on her feet, the ground pitched underneath her and sent her sprawling on the ground. The neon sign of the pub they'd just exited sparked and crashed to the ground. People were running everywhere and screaming as they went.

Cassie pushed herself to her feet and ran in the direction of the TARDIS. Ignoring the calls from Rose and Mickey behind her.

The devastation around her was startling, signs flying everywhere, structures of buildings crumbling, and people running anywhere they could to escape the falling debris. Cassie turned a corner and entered the square where the TARDIS had landed. Huge bolts of lightening were striking the top of TARDIS, causing the ground to shake with every strike. She ran towards it. Cracks forming around her on the ground.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie burst through the TARDIS door, wiping away any last tears she had on her face. The Doctor and Jack were running around the TARDIS, trying to calm her down. Margaret was standing not far from the top of the gangplank. "What's going on here?" She called as she slammed the doors behind her and ran up to stand beside Margaret, not thinking of her position.

"Oh, just little me," Margaret cheered with a smile. She ripped off the left arm of her skin suit to reveal her huge Slitheen arm coming out of her elbow. She swung her arm and grabbed Cassie around the throat, bring her close to her side. Both Jack and the Doctor jerked forward, "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise," Margaret hissed. Both men rocked back on their heels, Jack having murder in his eyes.

"I might have known," the Doctor sneered.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it! You!" She nodded at Jack, "Fly boy! Put the extrapolator at my feet." Jack remained where he was and Margaret's grip tightened on Cassie's throat, causing her to choke a little, "Do it!" Jack quickly glanced at the Doctor who nodded, his eyes never left Cassie's face. He grabbed the extrapolator from its perch and placed on the ground.

Margaret moved towards it, dragging Cassie along with her. "Thank you. Just as I planned," she stepped on top of it.

"You knew this would happen," the Doctor accused.

"But we found out about the power station, so-" Cassie choked out, but was cut off by the grip on her throat tightening. Her eyes closed in an effort to stay conscious. Jack tried going forward but was stopped by the Doctor's hand.

"Failing that, if I were to be arrested, then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own," Margaret gloated, "Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B. To lock onto the nearest alien powers source, and open the rift. And what a power source it found! I'm back on schedule. Thanks to you!"

"The rift's gonna convulse, you'll destroy the whole planet," Jack begged, his eyes not leaving Cassie's pained expression.

"And you with it!" Margaret smiled evilly, "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno, all the way to freedom! Stand back, boys! Surf's up!" The shaking grew more severe as Cassie's eyes began to roll back into her head...

Until a huge panel opened from the console, shining a bright light on Margaret's face and jolting Cassie awake.

"Of course, opening the rift means you're gonna pull this ship apart. Plus you've threatened someone that's very near to her," the Doctor supplied calmly, glancing at Cassie who gave a pained smile.

"So sue me!" Margaret sneered.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe."

"It'll make wonderful scrap."

"The light...?" Cassie whispered through constricted vocal chords.

"The heart of the TARDIS," the Doctor answered, "This ship is alive. You've opened it's soul."

Margaret turned from glaring at him to staring directly into the light, "...It's … so bright..."

"Look at it, Margaret," the Doctor urged, gently.

"...Beautiful..."

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light." Cassie looked away at the enticing light, something telling her to not look into it. It blazed brighter as Margaret continued staring till she glanced up.

"Thank you," she whispered, genuinely grateful. It was a second before the pressure on Cassie's throat disappeared and Margaret's flesh suit flopped to the floor. Cassie stumbled to the floor, taking in a deep gulp of air.

"Don't look – stay there, close your eyes, don't look at the light-" the Doctor warned as he ran forward and slammed the panel down. Jack ran to Cassie side as she coughed, clearing her airways, "Now shut down! Jack, come on, shut it all down!" Cassie pushed him toward the console, telling him to get to work. He squeezed her hand headed straight for the extrapolator, while the Doctor took care of the TARDIS. Cassie's coughing subsided and she struggled to her feet. "Cassie! That panel, shut it down, all the switches, turn to the left-"

She staggered to the console and hit the switches the Doctor indicated along with a few extra, her hands being guided by the TARDIS slightly in her mind. The roar of the engines subsided and the calm returned to the time machine. Jack headed over to Cassie and checked the marks on her neck while the Doctor went to the empty skin suit on the floor.

"Nicely done. Thank you, all," the Doctor called.

"Yeah, cheers," Cassie rasped, "What exactly happened to her?"

"Must've burnt up," Jack theorized, "Carried out her own death sentence."

"No, I don't think she's dead," the Doctor contradicted, "She looked into the heart of the TARDIS. Even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic – like I told you, Cassie, it gets inside your head, translate alien languages for you. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts." He dug around under the suit until he uncovered a leathery egg with feelers sticking out of it. "Here she is."

"An egg?" Cassie asked as she made her way over to the Doctor.

"Regressed to her childhood," he smiled as he examined the egg further.

"She's an egg?" Jack jumped in, crouching down beside them.

"She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her back home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly … she might be all right."

"Or she might be worse," Jack interjected.

"That's her choice."

"You know, she's kind of cute this way," Cassie mused, flicking one of the feelers with her finger. The men gave her looks and she just shoved them with her shoulders, "I should go tell Mickey and Rose everything's okay." She got up from the floor and headed for the door, mussing Jack's hair as she went.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie headed back to where she had last seen Rose and Mickey, but it was empty. She looked around to see if she could find them walking away. She couldn't see anything so she whipped out her mobile and speed dialed Mickey's number, he didn't answer. She dialed Rose and she didn't get and answer from her either. This was not normal, Rose always answered her calls. She never let them go to voicemail, only if she was pissed off at her. She dialed Mickey again and it only went to voicemail again.

"_Hey. This is Mickey. Leave a message after the beep." __**Beep!**_

"You listen here, Mickey Leslie Smith! I better hear back from you soon or I will hijack the TARDIS and bring it back to yesterday just to kick your ass! And tell Rose to call me if she's with you!" She ended the call and did one more turn around before heading back to the TARDIS.

Mickey and Rose watched her go, hugging each other. They didn't want to do that to her, but she had to see that they wouldn't be waiting for her all time. That she couldn't just dump them and expect everything to be okay. Mickey opened his phone and played the message Cassie had left for him and Rose.

_**CLDW**_

Cassie walked into a little rundown tourist spot near where the TARDIS was parked. She had one more thing to do before heading back to her TARDIS. The jingling of the bell above the door caught the attention of the attendant, Owen Harper. It made sense since Ianto was still working for Torchwood 1 at this point in his story.

"Yeah. What can I do ya for?" He asked in boredom. Cassie guessed it must be his shift to run the tourist center and he was not happy about it.

"Um, yes. Actually could you give a message to someone for me?" Cassie put on her sweetest smile towards him.

"Look, darlin'. I'm the only one here so anything you need to say just say to me and if that's nothing then just shove-"

"I'd like you to give a message to Captain Jack Harkness," Cassie cut across Owen's rude remark and almost laughed as his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"What message should I give him?"

"Tell him," she paused in thought before continuing, "Tell him that 'Hippie' says hello and that he'll find his Doctor." Owen nodded to her and, trying to act like his initial wave of shock hadn't happened, began thumbing through a magazine at much to fast a pace to be reading it.

She turned to leave and caught sight of a camera in the corner whose lens zeroed in on her as she passed. She saluted the camera and could almost hear Jack's laugh ghosting through the corridor that led down to the Hub. She smiled and exited the building, the camera watching her as she went.

_**CLDW**_

The TARDIS doors thumped shut quietly as Cassie leaned against them, emotionally drained from the day. She looked into the TARDIS and saw the Doctor working on the console and Jack working on the extrapolator. The Margaret egg was perched on the time rotor.

"We're all powered up," the Doctor called down to her, "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy, we can go. If that's all right."

"Fine. Whatever," Cassie muttered.

"How're they? Mickey and Rose?" He pried a little.

"They're gone," she said simply.

"D'you want to go and find them? We can wait."

"Nah. They deserve better than me as a sister, only visiting every few months," she bit her thumb nail in thought. Jack and the Doctor exchanged a look.

"Off we go then."

"Next stop, Raxicoricofallapatorious. And you don't often get to say that," Jack laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"We'll just stop off and pop her into the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life all over again. A second chance," the Doctor joined.

Cassie only gave them a sad smile, "Must be nice," she walked past the console and headed for the rest of the TARDIS. Silence left in her wake.

_**CLDW**_

For once, Cassie was sitting in her room without any music on. Just laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She heard a faint knocking at the door, "It's open!" She flipped on to her stomach to see Jack cracking open her door.

"Hey, hippie," he'd taken to calling her that ever since 1941 as more of a term of endearment. "I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine soldier," Cassie smirked back, a little sad, "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Well, before you sleep, I've got one question for you."

"And what would that be?"

He advanced more into her room and knelt down so he was level with her head, "You told me that you already knew what was going to happen. Now I get the whole preserving time lines thing, but you couldn't have given us a hint to any of this?"

"Oh, Jack," Cassie laughed at his way of putting the complex situation into such simple terms, "Like I told you, in this parallel universe, this entire thing is a TV show. So, yes I have seen everything that's happened before. But I can't just tell you things. Even if I give you hints, the Doctor's gonna wonder where it all comes from. And I have a feeling he's gonna stop buying that all these 'feelings' I'm having are from my psychic abilities. Plus, my memory hasn't been working that well since I got here."

"What d'you mean?" Jack asked.

"When I first got here, I remembered the first ever episode perfectly. I could recall lines, descriptions, anything. But by the second adventure, everything had gone fuzzy. I could barely remember certain events. At first I chalked it up to just me not watching the show anymore. But, lately, I've been wondering if it isn't something more."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure," she looked over at Jack and had to laugh at his stifled yawn, "You're tired. You should get some sleep while you can." She poked him in the arm till he stood and made his way back to the door.

"And you're sure your feeling fine?" He questioned one last time.

"I'm fine! Bed!" She pointed and he followed. Smiling to himself sleepily. Cassie went back to staring at the ceiling till she heard a faint buzz, signaling that the Doctor had come to call. "Come in!"

Unlike Jack, the Doctor immediately walked in and sat down on her bed, "I came to give you the results to the test I ran on the readings."

"Well hello, Doctor. Please come in. It's lovely to see you," Cassie chirped.

"No need to be snippy," he complained, "I just wanted to tell you that everything's fine."

"So, what exactly did happen?" She questioned, tracing the outline of a star with her eyes.

"From what I could tell, it was just a development of your psychic abilities."

"Are they gonna hurt like that from now on?"

"No, the reason it hurt was because you went through multiple developments in a few seconds," the Doctor fiddled with a few buttons on his coat.

"Any ideas on how the developments happened so fast?"

"I think it was the exposure to the rift. Just like it developed Gwyneth's abilities, it just developed your gifts a little more forcefully." Cassie only laughed.

"I'd say a lot more forcefully," she punched him in the arm lightly, "Thanks for the diagnosis, Doc."

"Oh, not you too," he moaned before heading out, "Raxacoricofallapatorious in an hour," he called as the door shut.

Cassie sighed at the silence that filled her room. She did not like silence, jumping up from the bed, Cassie made her way over to her desk to shift through the mounds of papers for a book she'd set down there a few days ago. She moved a page that was covered with red marks out of the way and came across two pictures. One of her and Chris and one of her and Amy. She looked between the two pictures and then pulled out her phone, heading back to bed. The pictures were left on the bed as the phone rang.

"_Hello?_"

"Hey, Amy. I was just returning your call. So, what's new?"

**A/N: One more chapter done! Yay! It wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but it was an okay one. I guess it had to happen to reveal that whole 'opening the TARDIS heart' thing. I'm just so happy that we finally get to the series finale.**

**It struggled a little fitting Rose into this plot line. Since Cassie has taken Rose's part, and this is a completely different Rose than the series. I feel like, she's gained a lot of her confidence from being with the Doctor. I mean, she's still got confidence, don't get me wrong. But she obviously doesn't know about space and time travel. But I think I managed it fairly well. Hopefully *crosses finger*.**

**About the whole Amy/Chris thing. I know a lot of people are probably gonna wonder how this could happen since Amy and Rory are end game. I just figured since this was 2005 and they weren't officially an end game couple till 2008 (in the Eleventh Hour) that they could probably have some bumps along the way. I'm actually kind of excited about it.**

**As for the Torchwood scene, I'm very happy with and love. I think I read somewhere that Jack kept his team inside the Hub the entire day of 'Boom Town' so that they wouldn't run into his past self. But I could just picture the two timelines converging and this scene came into being. I would like to give credit to grapejuice101 for helping inspire this scene in a PM. Luv Ya!**

**This is a little bit of a celebratory chapter since my last day of school was last Wednesday. No more school! And senior year is just around the corner! Woo-hoo! That's why this chapter was out so fast. I had nothing to do for the past few days so I worked none stop on this.**

**So, see you next time. **

**P.S. I have no idea if Mickey's middle name is Leslie. I just wanted to give him as embarrassing name as possible. }:).**

**P.S.S. You should all take a look at the previous chapter for the updated A/N. For some reason my computer didn't save it to my file and I didn't notice. So check it out, it explains a few things about the chapter. **


End file.
